Tag
by LuvStarWars
Summary: SPOILERS FROM THE END OF THE MANGA. Neuro returns to the office to find a new kind of monster has moved in, and he's ready to play. Rated T for some gore and lots of violence.
1. Let's Play

Author's Notes: THIS STORY CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FROM THE MAJIN TANTEI NOUGAMI NEURO MANGA ENDING. I don't know the details of the final chapter, but I know some of the basics, so if you don't want spoilers, don't read.

This idea has been eating at my brain for a while now, so I decided to make it happen. This is supposed to be a suspense/thriller (two genres I've never written before), but it will also be a romance. NeuroXYako of course. :) It will be (I hope) a very subtle and dark romance (that means NO FLUFF, though I do love fluff), so If I'm too obvious, please let me know! I'm not sure how long this story will end up being, but I do know that I'm going to finish it one way or another. Please, please review! This is only my second MTNN fan fiction, and my first attempt at suspense/thriller, and I want feedback! Any suggestions you may have, constructive criticisms, what have you. So please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I do not own Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, but I do own the OC you'll meet in this chapter, so NO TOUCHY.

* * *

**Tag**

**Chapter 1**

**Let's Play  
**

Everything was wrong. And dark, though that didn't interfere with the demon's sight. In fact, he could see perfectly fine, though any human would be completely blind in the pitch blackness. He could see that everything was wrong; he could sense it.

The large red desk under the window, Troy,_ his_ desk, was shining as bright as ever in the moonlight. That was wrong. This office had been abandoned for five years, that desk should be buried in dust. There were books cluttering the shelves of the bookcases on the right side of the room, but the demon knew that his slave would have packed up all their books before closing the office for good. Two couches and a table sat exactly where the old ones had, but they weren't the old ones. There was the tv, Yako's desk, the computers, Akane's desk, the waistebasket, Godai's desk, they were all there like they had been five years ago, like those years had never been. That was wrong, all wrong. But the most powerful sign that something was wrong took over his senses completely, drowning out all other sights. He smelled it, he heard and felt it squelch under his shoes, he tasted it in the air, and he saw it, smeared over everything.

Blood. Human blood, dried and fresh, dripping off of shelves, staining the wallpaper, sitting in large puddles all over the floor.

Needless to say, it was a shock to see the familiar office so drastically altered. How could this have happened? What exactly _did_ happen? For how long? Why? Who, or what did this?

Closing his eyes, the demon took a deep breath of the foul air, searching past the scent of blood to find a trace of a clue. It hit him more like a brick wall than a trace and suddenly, his whole body tensed. The thing that had done this was still inside the office. And it was watching him.

"Nougami Neuro…" a sickly rasping voice floated out of the far corner of the ceiling. A large shape moved in the shadows, but Neuro's demon eyes could already see it. Not that he needed to, he knew what this creature was without having to lay eyes on it.

"Devourer of mysteries…" the voice went on in its husky hiss. "My, you've gotten weaker, haven't you? I think the Underworld would be filled with laughter for the first time in history if it ever saw what a mockery of a demon you've become… But I suppose that doesn't matter, since you seem to have made the Upperworld your home. What could have possessed you to do such a thing, I wonder…"

The shape dropped from the ceiling noiselessly, sliding and slithering over the floor to Troy, as insubstantial as smoke. Settling in a column on the edge of the red desk, it shifted into the shape of a lanky male youth somewhere in his mid twenties.

"That look doesn't quite suit you, Hitokiri," Neuro said, a knowing smile on his face that had nothing to do with happiness.

"You think so?" the monster queried leisurely, running his spidery fingers through the blood colored hair that fell into his poisonous red right eye, and his piercing silver left eye. He was paler than death, which was ironic considering how many living creatures had become that color one he was finished devouring them, and dressed in nothing but a pair of black pants. As he spoke, the monster called Hitokiri's fangs and claws slowly began to grow back into their proper size, the ivory talons a good foot long each and curved to a needle-sharp point, and the teeth becoming small fangs that could puncture even metal. "I happen to like it. It's a rather handsome look – well, as handsome as a pathetic mortal human can be, anyway. Not like that ridiculous disguise you seem so fond of."

Neuro ignored the insult. He seemed perfectly at ease standing just inside the doorway, his arms folded comfortably in front of him, that knowing smile plastered on his face. In reality, every muscle was tense, every thought in his mind alert, all senses acutely pointed at the monster sitting on _his_ desk.

"So how is it that you've moved your nest into my office, Hitokiri?" the demon detective asked. His voice was calm, but Hitokiri could hear from across the room the threatening undertones. "You seem to have been thriving here for some time…" _Like cockroaches under a rock, as the human saying goes_, he added mentally.

"_Your_ office, is it?" Hitokiri hissed amusedly. "Didn't you abandon it five years ago? I'm surprised you even returned. No no, this is no longer _your_ office, it is my nest." His voice lowered to a sickly whisper. "And _I like it here_."

"Well unfortunately, I feel the same," Neuro countered pleasantly.

Hitokiri let out a raspy bark of laughter, his multicolored irises gleaming wickedly. "Feel? The great mystery eater Nougami Neuro feels an attachment to this place? This _human-made hovel_?! It is a cozy place for a nest for a creature like me, but Nougami Neuro is far too high and mighty for a shed like this. Or have you really fallen so far… Neuro?"

"It suits my needs well," Neuro replied, brushing off the blow to his pride. The monster was trying to provoke him. He would like that, wouldn't he? But Neuro would not be so easily baited. There was only one end to this argument, and it was fast approaching. "And I am ready to take it back now, if you don't mind. If you do, well that is most unfortunate for you."

He was bluffing now, and Hitokiri knew it instantly. "There's no way a demon like you can remove me forcibly from _any _place, especially if I've laid claim to it." He idly ran a finger through a puddle of blood on the desk's surface and sucked at it. "And as you can see, I've painted my name on every surface," he added with a smug grin. "I am too powerful for you, Neuro. Even in your prime, you were no match for me. And now you are trespassing on my feeding grounds, which I have found most satisfactory thus far. If you don't leave soon, I'll be forced to play rough."

Neuro opened his mouth to reply, but Hitokiri suddenly added, "Oh, one more thing! I wanted to inform you that I've had my eye on some new prey for a while now, but was always wondering… if you ever returned that is… what your reaction would be if I moved in without your knowledge." Neuro stiffened visibly, but Hitokiri went on as if he hadn't noticed anything.

"She is quite attractive for a human, young and tender… I can just imagine what she tastes like… I was taken in as soon as I spotted her, but then I noticed something most disappointing. It seems a certain demon's scent was quite heavy on her. They must have spent quite a bit of time together, so much so that the scent lasted well through the years of separation. Well now, if she was Neuro's toy, I couldn't devour her without feeling at least a _bit_ guilty, now could I…?"

Hitokiri's multi-colored eyes flicked to Neuro, reading his unreadable expression, seeing beyond the blank emerald eyes and grim mouth to the gears whirling behind them. A pointy grin lit his eyes with wicked mischief. "Say, I've thought of a most entertaining game, Neuro. What do the humans call it… tag? Yes, let's play a game of tag. We're both it. All or nothing. The first person to eternally claim Katsuragi Yako wins.


	2. Right Behind You

Author's Notes: I'm really on a role with this story! I can't stop thinking about it, and whenever I sit down to type on it, the words just flow out. I wouldn't be surprised if I finish chapter 3 later on tonight. Oh, and I lied, there WILL be some fluff in this story (minimal, yes, but it will be there) just because I can't help myself. XD Enjoy!

* * *

**Tag**

**Chapter 2**

**Right Behind You  
**

In all honesty, Neuro had expected (and hoped for) a fight, not a human child's game. Yes, this man-slayer was stronger than he, but Neuro would have welcomed a battle anyway. At least things would be decided much faster that way, whatever the outcome. Neuro was impatient to get back to his old life in the surface world.

The man-slay Hitokiri, however, was holding all the cards; Neuro's headquarters, his number one slave, and most importantly, his feeding grounds. Therefore, Neuro was in no position to begin making demands. He would have to play along for now, at least until the moment he gained to upper hand. When that time came, he take all that was his back, and he would make this monster from Hell suffer for challenging him.

There was only one problem with this plan of Neuro's. He had no way of making an eternal claim to Katsuragi Yako. He'd tried to get her to become his slave body and soul time and time again, but somehow she'd never faltered. Neuro could play tag all he wanted, but he couldn't win this game until he found a way to get Yako to surrender to him.

* * *

"… _the police still have no clue as to the whereabouts of the seventeen people that have gone missing over the past month. They seem to leave no trace…"_

The silver light of the television screen provided weak lighting for the little living room, illuminating the sleeping form of Katsuragi Yako spread out over the couch. Around her on every available flat surface were the remains of full-sized bags of chips with not a crumb left inside, about ten empty bowls that had once held popcorn, and two spotless ice-cream cartons. It appeared that after this "light" midnight snack, she'd fallen asleep to the sound of the news. How many times had this happened now? Perhaps it had just become a habit now.

This occasion, however, was different from any of the previous, because tonight, the dozing Yako wasn't dreaming about food. Instead, she saw in her dreams a creature from the Underworld, one she had not seen in what seemed like a very long time. There was another creature there too, one she had not seen before. He slithered in and out of the edges of her dream, always there circling, but not striking. Yako frowned and shifted uneasily on the couch, unnerved by the nightmare but unable to wake up just yet. This creature was dangerous. It had come to hurt her, to hurt Neuro.

"Neuro's not here…" she sighed in her sleep. "Go away… Go…"

Suddenly, pain shot through her dream, startling her out of sleep. That had been real, physical pain. Sitting up, Yako squinted around the dark room, her heart still pounding fast against her ribs. She saw nothing, but that only disquieted her more. There was someone else there, she could feel it.

Slipping quietly off the couch, Yako tiptoed to the hall leading to her bedroom. It was dark and still. She turned to the doorway that led to the kitchen. That room was also quiet. Feeling the sudden urge for another snack, Yako shuffled cautiously over to the refrigerator. There was something watching her, she knew it. She could feel their eyes on her, following her movements, studying her, but every time she turned around, she saw nothing. Still raking the kitchen with a nervous gaze, Yako opened the refrigerator door.

"Still hungry, human?"

Letting out a scream of surprise and fear, Yako whirled around. There was no one there.

"You have quite an appetite don't you?"

It was coming from behind her again, and Yako spun around to see who was standing at her shoulder. No one.

"We have that in common…"

Snatching the large black flashlight off the counter beside the fridge, Yako raised it as a weapon. She'd barely gotten it ready to swing when there was a sharp pain in the back of her head. The flashlight hit the ground as she screamed again. But this scream died away almost instantly, as did her fear. No… it couldn't be…

The grip on her head was so familiar, even after five years, Yako almost cried with relief. There was no danger after all, no scary monster from her nightmare in her kitchen. After all this time, it seemed just as unreal, but she knew it was fact. It was Neuro.

Her demon boss jumped down from the ceiling, still gripping her head, and Yako twisted around to see him. Whenever she'd imagined him returning (she always knew he would, after all), he'd never looked any different from when she first met him. And she'd been right. The same shockingly blue suit, the same white scarf, the same yellow triangles in his hair, which was still blond with black bangs, and the same acidic green eyes, which were glowing eerily like a cat's in the darkness. Some things never changed, and Neuro was the best example she'd ever come across.

A hundred thoughts and emotions took over Yako's brain at once. She was happy to see the demon again, relieved that it had obviously been him talking before just to scare her, confused as to his whereabouts for the past five years, and even more confused as to why he chose now of all times to turn up again. But his vice-like grip on her head was giving her a headache, making it hard to process any of these.

"N-N-Neuro…" she began, but it seemed Neuro wasn't listening.

"Your single-celled brain has gotten softer during our time apart, louse," he commented, kneading her head painfully with his long fingers. But the comment seemed distracted. Yako noticed Neuro's eyes scanning the dark kitchen thoughtfully, searching. Her heartbeat quickened. Was there danger after all?

"Ne-" Yako tried again, but Neuro's other hand took hold of her lips between the index finger and thumb and squished them together painfully, warning her to keep silent. A long minute passed, then another, and still no movement in the shadows, no other sound but Yako's own pounding heart. Finally, Neuro gave final tug on her lips and released them, signaling that it was okay for her to speak.

"Neuro, what was that?!" Yako immediately demanded. "What were you looking for?"

"Just a playmate of mine," Neuro replied casually. He'd been tense only a few seconds ago, but now he was completely relaxed. Whatever it was he had been searching for, he was apparently very confident that it wasn't there.

Yako, however, was not so sure. She felt even more nervous now; any 'playmate' of Neuro's was bad news for her. "W-Was that who was talking earlier?"

Neuro was immediately tense again. The hand on her head flew down to cover her eyes, but not before Yako saw a pale figure shooting out of the shadows. Neuro's other arm wrapped around her waist, and before Yako knew what was happening, the sound of broken glass filled her ears, and they were falling from her apartment window. The wind whistled past their ears for only a second as Neuro twisted in midair, shifting Yako from his arms onto his back. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, and a second later his head transformed into his bird form and his arms became enormous purple-feathered wings. With a jerk, they were rocketing skyward.

A unearthly screech sounded from behind them. Yako almost turned to look, but Neuro veered off to the left sharply, almost throwing her off and making it impossible to see. Another screech, closer this time, and then the drumbeat of large wings against the air, closer still.

"Neuro, what's chasing us?!" Yako screamed above the wind. He didn't answer. "Neuro-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"

Neuro went into a steep dive, pulling in his wings so that they picked up speed at an alarming rate. Yako felt her insides do backflips and her heart rise into her throat. They were approaching the top of a skyscraper at breakneck speed. At the very last second, Neuro pulled up, skimming over the rooftops without slowing down. Still Yako could hear their attacker closing in.

Suddenly, Neuro skidded to a stop and landed on a wide rooftop. Yanking Yako off his back with his now human arms, he dragged her around so that she was standing in front of him. Whatever was chasing them was upon them now.

"777 Tools of the Demon World; Evil Pressure!!" Neuro announced. An enormous machine sprouted from the back of his demon-form head, a beam shooting out of it and capturing their assailant in its grasp. A piercing screech filled the air, then an enormous thud as the monster landed on the roof behind them, muscles torn beyond use.

Yako couldn't see anything. Her face was being pressed into Neuro's shirt so hard she was suffocating (obviously his plan).

"777 Tools of the Demon World; Evil Full Face," Neuro said, much softer this time. Immediately they were surrounded by a smoke screen. Neuro snatched Yako up by the back of the shirt and lifted her onto his back again. As they took off through the cover, a hissing, spluttering voice followed them.

"You haven't won just yet, Nougami Neuro… You've only completed part of our game. Don't worry though, I'll be right behind you…"

Shivering hard, a reflex that had nothing to do with the chilly night air flying past them, Yako tightened her arms around Neuro's neck to keep from slipping off, back into that fog where who-knew-what was waiting. Despite the thickness of the smoke, she had a feeling that whatever it was could still see them, predator eyes following as they disappeared into the night sky.


	3. A 'Teary' Reunion

Author's Notes: I'm sorry this chapter took longer than the last one. For one, it the longest chapter yet, and plus I kept tweaking it because something didn't seem right about it. Something about this chapter still feels off, but I can't place what it is, so I'm giving up and posting it. XD

I think I'll also give up on trying to make this a suspense story. -_-" Writing this chapter, I realized I like comedy and flat out action too much to make it a suspense story (plus there's some... _hint_ of fluff in this chapter as well, which I couldn't resist leaving out XD), so I think it'll end up being an Action/Romance genre story. Hope you like it anyways, and please review! Constructive criticism is always welcome! ^_^

* * *

**Tag**

**Chapter 3**

**A 'Teary' Reunion  
**

The night air felt good as it brushed against Yako's face. For the first time since a half hour ago, the situation had sunk in, and she was not afraid like she had been. Instead, she was strangely content.

It had been a normal, human five years since Neuro left, calm and quiet with no mysteries to chase, no criminals to catch, and precious little mortal danger. Had that not been what she'd wanted the whole time she'd been working for Neuro, a normal life? And yet, once she'd finally gotten it, Yako had realized how entirely boring a normal life was. For the first few weeks, even the first several months, it hadn't seemed real. She'd lived that time expecting any second that Neuro would appear out of nowhere with his wolfish, sadistic grin and drag her off to solve a new mystery. When he never did, she'd eventually realized that he would be gone for a very long time and she should get used to her new routines. Maybe he would never return at all. But Yako hardly ever thought that, and even when she did, she didn't believe it. Something told her she would see Neuro again, and life would become the normal insanity it had been when they were a team.

Needless to say, it was a shock for him to show up the way he had; in the middle of the night at her apartment, only to haul her all over the city with some new monster on their tail. Yako hardly understood any of it, but she decided not to dwell on it just yet. The one thing she did understand was that, no matter what craziness was coming next, life would go back to the way it had been five years ago, and she was ready for it.

Unfortunately for her, a bit of the old days included Neuro's relentless tortures. Sensing that his slave was getting a bit too comfortable on his back, he promptly threw her off, letting her fall with a yelp and a thud on the rooftop of a skyscraper ten feet below. Landing beside her, he returned to his human form, a satisfied grin on his face.

Groaning, Yako sat up, rubbing her head where she felt an egg sized lump already forming. "What the heck was that for Neu-!"

Neuro didn't let her finish, but dragged her to her feet by her head. He held her in place as he circled her, acidic eyes roving up and down. When he'd finished his inspection, he commented, "You're shorter than ever, midget."

"No way, I grew two inches since last time!" Yako huffed.

"Two inches in five years, hm? That's pretty pathetic," Neuro replied with an innocent smile.

"It's not like you're any taller," Yako grumbled. Neuro ignored her and continued,

"I was sure you would have grown more width-wise too if your eating habits are still anything like they were." He poked her hard in the stomach to gesticulate his point.

"Ow, stop that Neuro!" Yako demanded, swatting at his hand. "Anyway, where have you been all this time? Why didn't you come back sooner?"

Neuro ignored her question, tugging lightly on a bit of her hair instead. "Your hair's a bit scruffier than before…" Pinching her cheeks, he started pulling on them. "And your face is just as frighteningly ugly as always. No wonder you still live alone in that dingy little apartment." He continued to poke and prod, insulting her in every way he could think of, as Yako grew more and more frustrated. Was this Neuro's idea of a teary reunion, or was he just trying to catch up on all the time he'd lost torturing her??

Finally Yako shoved him away, almost losing her balance on the corner of the rooftop in the process. Neuro only stared at her, amused by her anger. His silence told Yako it was finally her turn to speak.

"You disappear for five years, then show up _at my apartment in the middle of the night_ and drag me around the city with some crazy monster chasing after us for no reason, and all you can do is _insult_ me?!" Yako stared at her demon boss incredulously. Why didn't he explain what was going on? What has he hiding? She just couldn't process anything anymore. After having a normal life for so long, so many supernatural shockers in one hour were turning her brain to mush.

"You said it yourself, slave," Neuro replied, smirking at her with those cruel green eyes. "It has been five years. And I can see that you are in desperate need of retraining."

"What was that thing, Neuro?" Yako asked again. "The thing that was chasing us? And why didn't you let me see it?" If he wasn't going to give her his reasons for staying away so long, at least he could tell her this. Right?

She expected him to look annoyed and brush her off again, but Neuro's smile widened, a wicked sort of glee behind his eyes.

"He is known in Hell as Hitokiri, or Man-slayer. He is a very powerful creature that feeds on human flesh. I didn't allow you to see him because he lures his victims in through eye contact. If your eyes had met, I doubt even a demon as strong as I could have gotten in your way; you would have fought me to go to your own death. Most of the time Hitokiri is kept under close guard and his feeding grounds are closely monitored so he doesn't get out of control, but it seems he's been allowed to roam free these past few years, and he's chosen Japan as his new source of food." Neuro's eyes settled on Yako for a split second, then looked away, so fast Yako wasn't sure she hadn't just imagined it. "As Japan was originally my territory and I am now ready to take it back, I cannot allow him to continue feeding on humans, who are the source of the mysteries I eat." He paused, then added more quietly, "So we are playing a little game of tag to see who will be the victor."

"And he's "it," huh?" Yako asked, putting the pieces together. "Why did you have to lead him to my apartment then?!"

Neuro just showed his claws and gave her that blank stare she so thoroughly detested.

"Fine then, fine… But Neuro, maybe there's a way you two can share a feeding ground or whatever it's-"

The next second, Yako found herself leaning precariously over the edge of the roof, with only Neuro's index fingers hooked into either side of her mouth to keep her from falling hundreds of feet down.

"Mindless suggestions like that are why I am the master, and you are the useless slave," Neuro said from behind her. Yako could hear the evil grin on his face in his voice.

"OKAY OKAY, I GET IT, NO SHARING!!" Yako screeched, feeling dizzy from the height she was being held at. "Neuro, stop, please!"

"No," the demon answered simply. He let Yako hang there for a few more minutes, and when she made no other protests, he set her back down on the roof.

Anyway…" the girl sighed again, "I suppose you have a plan as to how you're going to defeat this Hitokiri?"

"Of couse not!" Neuro announced cheerfully, his blank stare switching to that innocent smile she hated even more.

* * *

Neuro was on alert for any movement, for a single smell, the tiniest hint that Hitokiri was nearby. Yako, despite trying to remain conscious, had fallen asleep on his back during the flight back to her apartment, her cheek resting snugly in between his shoulder blades. The demon had considered throwing her off again and catching her just before she hit the ground, just to teach her not to let her guard down around her boss like that, but decided not to. If the louse suffered from lack of sleep, her work for him would suffer as well, and then how could he possibly win against Hitokiri?

He hadn't told her the full story of his and Hitokiri's game only partially because he knew the pathetic slave would panic and give him a hard time, though the idea of scaring her senseless with the news that she was being hunted by a human eating monster from Hell was quite tempting… But no, he wouldn't tell her. Not just yet, anyway.

The true fact was, Neuro had no intention of playing Hitokiri's little game at all. His genius mind had pulled nothing but blanks whenever he tried to think of how he could place an unquestionable, unbreakable claim on Yako. Of course, Neuro already considered Yako his 'property,' off-limits, but Hitokiri could just ignore that anytime. They were only words after all. So why not just skip this bothersome little puzzle altogether and cut right to the chase? Normally Neuro would pursue this puzzle until the end, but it had been a problem not just since the challenge was made, but ever since he and Yako had first met, and he was growing quite frustrated with it. This was one puzzle he was willing to give up, though it did seem like quite a tasty one.

The sun was just beginning to rise as Neuro flew back through the broken window of Yako's kitchen, his arms and head becoming human once again. Before Yako could slide off his back he slipped his arms under her knees and carried her piggyback-style into her room. Satisfied that she was too deeply asleep to be easily roused, he tugged her arms from around his neck and let her drop onto her bed. Yako moaned and mumbled something incoherent, but didn't awaken. At least Neuro didn't think so. Turning to leave, he was surprised by Yako's small hand slipping into his large gloved one.

"I'm glad you're back… Neuro…" she murmured, her eyes closed, apparently still asleep after all. But she smiled regardless.

Feeling a twinge of discomfort, Neuro only smirked. "You're still hopelessly pathetic." Pulling his hand out of her grip, he left without another word.

* * *

At almost twenty minutes past ten in the morning, Yako dragged herself out of bed. Her limbs felt like lead for some reason, and why was she so tired? Normally she could get up at a decent hour even if she stayed up late.

_Maybe I sleepwalked around the apartment while having that dream…_ she wondered to herself as she poured five bowls of cereal for her breakfast.

And what a dream it had been! Neuro had shown up in her apartment and they'd flown all over the city being chased by some new monster. Apparently Neuro was in competition with this monster for his territory. Or had all of that been real? It seemed to amazing to be true, and this wouldn't be the first time she'd dreamed about Neuro since his disappearance.

One time early on she'd had a dream that Neuro returned to the office out of nowhere and offered her a feast to end all feasts for all her good work thus far as his assistant. But then all the food had turned into hungry monsters from Hell and had chased her around the city trying to devour her instead. Another dream had been that Neuro somehow sensed a mystery underwater and Yako had almost drowned in their attempt to chase after it. In fact, most of her dreams involving Neuro had somehow turned into nightmares. But this latest one hadn't been that scary at all. Once they'd escaped the monster, in fact, it had been rather pleasant.

"Proof it couldn't have been true," Yako thought amusedly to herself as she took a large gulp of orange juice.

"Good morning, Sensei!" a bubbly voice came from behind her.

Startled, Yako choked on her juice. Neuro gave her a sound clap on the back, which only succeeded in throwing her face first into her cereal bowl and making matters worse; now she was choking on juice, milk, _and_ frosted flakes.

"My my, Sensei sure is a careless eater!" Neuro went on in that cheerful tone as he held Yako's head down in the cereal bowl. "It's a wonder she's lived this long!"

Suddenly a cheerful little tune began playing out of Yako's jeans pocket. Seeing that his 'sensei' was busy, Neuro reached in and pulled out Yako's cellphone, flipped it open, and said happily, "Katsuragi Yako's phone! Who is this?" To make it worse, he turned on the phone's loudspeaker so his slave could hear who it was, but be completely unable to speak with them.

"_Um… Who is this??"_

Yako's floundering increased three fold, but Neuro didn't release her. Oh, so this person was important? All the better… Strangely though, Neuro didn't recognize the young male's voice.

"This is Nougami Neuro, Sensei's humble assistant," he replied, putting his vocal disguise back on. "And you are?"

"_Taru Shuroshi, Yako-chan's boyfriend."_ That surprised him. Since when did the louse have a mate?? Five years had never seemed like much to him, being immortal, but now he began to realize just how long five years were to a human. Just how much had changed during his absence?

After an awkward silence, the boy on the other end asked, _"Is Yako-chan there?"_

"Sensei is stuffing her face and can't come to the phone at the moment. In fact, she will be most busy all day and unfortunately won't have time for chit-chat. Please call again tomorrow."

"_Oh… okay then… Well, could you tell Yako-chan that I hope she has a good day and I-"_

"I will be certain to relay your message to Sensei," Neuro cut in joyfully. "Goodbye now!" And he hung up while the boy was still talking. Then, noticing his slave's hands waving around like possessed whips and the visible part of her cheeks turning a most queer shade of purple, he released her.

"N-Neuro… you… you…!" was all Yako could manage for five minutes as she spluttered and coughed and wheezed. So last night hadn't been a dream after all. She was beginning to wish it had been. How _dare_ Neuro talk to her boyfriend!! And be so rude in the process! Yako groaned and started coughing again thinking about trying to explain to poor Shuroshi.

"Well, it seems you're not as utterly hopeless as I thought, Slave Number 1," Neuro commented as she spluttered, absentmindedly taking apart her cellphone. The timid little human male might call in the middle of a mystery and interrupt his meal. Neuro found himself already strongly disliking Taru Shuroshi. From their short first conversation, Neuro had gotten the impression that Shuroshi was a simple-minded, gutless, spineless kiss-up, the exact opposite of what Neuro believed a man should be.

"Shut up!" Yako finally choked. "It only thanks to you that I haven't had a boyfriend until now! What with you dragging me off to solve mysteries or torturing me or forcing me to do hours of paperwork every hour of the day, I never got the chance to socialize with the opposite sex. It's not that I was incapable at all!"

"It is good you're still able to attempt to comfort yourself, even though you're only telling yourself lies," Neuro replied casually. Yako was about to reply, then noticed her disassembled cellphone and screamed,

"AGAIN?!?!"

"You've made me wait long enough, slave," her demon boss said as if he hadn't heard her. "It is time to begin planning."

"You could have woken me up earlier, you know…" Yako mumbled, her voice sounding almost as dangerously evil as Neuro's.

"But then I couldn't punish you for sleeping in, now could I?" her demon boss queried, grinning innocently.

"By the way… How long have you been here?!" Yako suddenly asked. "In my apartment?!"

"All night."

"WHY YOU-OWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!" Neuro had grabbed her head again and gave it a very hard squeeze, finally getting irritated with her shrill screaming.


	4. Decay

Author's Notes: I started school again yesterday, wee! XD But that means that these updates won't be coming any faster though, sorry... D: Please REVIEW AND I'LL TRY HARDER!!!

* * *

**Tag**

**Chapter 4**

**Decay  
**

"Neuro…" Yako mumbled, her voice quavering ever so slightly, "are you _sure_ this is your brilliant plan?!" She looked down at her bound arms and legs (which was actually looking up because Neuro had hung her upside down from a light pole) and added, "Because _this_ does not seem brilliant at all."

"Do not underestimate my genius, dishrag," Neuro answered from his perch on top of the light pole. He swung down so that he was standing upside down on the dead lightbulb in front of Yako and added, "Hitokiri devours humans, so the best way to lure him out is to bait him with a pretty, young, _human_ girl." (He conveniently failed to mention that Yako was the exact human Hitokiri wanted to devour most)

Any other time Yako would have blushed with surprised pleasure at the fact that she'd just been called pretty by Neuro, but the fact that he was only saying it to make her sound tempting to some man-eating spawn of Hell made her grimace instead. Still, the fact that he said it with a completely straight face, in one of the most serious tones she'd ever heard him speak, made her squirm uncomfortably in her bonds. Then his façade fell apart and he beamed that not-so-innocent smile at her and exclaimed, "It's strange though, I couldn't have imagined the infamous Man-slayer was blind! At least that works to our advantage, haha!"

"Neur-" Yako began warningly, but Neuro crushed her lips together with his first finger and thumb to silence her.

"Quiet, louse," he ordered, a grin of dark anticipation twisting the corners of his mouth upwards. "He is here." Yako followed Neuro's gaze down the abandoned sidewalk. Three light poles down from theirs, the light flickered sickly and went out. A few seconds later, the next light began to flicker. Then it too went out. Yako was having a difficult time seeing in the dark, and especially being hung upside down like she was, but Neuro could see the tall, lanky figure, balanced perfectly on top of the light pole beside theirs, easily. Suddenly Yako couldn't see anything at all as Neuro tied a piece of cloth painfully tight in front of her eyes.

"Honestly Neuro," Hitokiri hissed, crossing his arms and looking down on the demon, who immediately swung back up to stand on top of his light pole so that their gaze was even, "I thought you were more patient than this. Not too much more, of course, but I was sure you would last a few more days at least. I suppose my faith was misplaced."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Neuro fibbed casually.

"You're giving up," the Man-slayer stated matter-of-factly, gesturing towards Yako, who was starting to turn very red in the face from being upside down so long. "You've brought our target to me as a white flag. The puzzle too much for even the notorious devourer of mysteries, Nougami Neuro?"

"N-Neuro, what is he talking about?" Yako whispered, struggling to speak. Her vision was beginning to get fuzzy, her face going numb.

Neuro ignored her, eyes focused on Hitokiri. "I am not interested in playing your games," he said airily. "I want this to be ended quickly, preferably right here, right now."

Hitokiri smirked, his pointed glittering strangely orange in the glow of the light pole. "My, you're much less fun than I thought you'd be. Aren't you at least a little bit interested in the puzzle's answer? I've already figured it out, see. Now you can't possibly quit. You'd never be able to show your face in Hell again, not only being almost as weak as a human, but also having been outsmarted by Hitokiri, the Man-slayer. You're supposed to be the brains remember, and I the strength. It looks like you're neither now."

The demon considered this for a moment. Yako made a few sick mumbling noises, her face now purple, and Neuro finally seemed to remember her. Grabbing her by the head, he pulled her into a semi upright position.

"I'll take one last shot at it, shall I?" he said, grinning wickedly.

Hitokiri grinned as well, his one red eye and his one silver eye glowing treacherously. "Take your time, Neuro. I'm not ready for this game to end just yet."

And with that, he was gone in a wisp of smoke.

* * *

"Why won't you tell me what's going on?!?" Yako demanded for the hundredth time after they'd returned to her apartment. For reasons she couldn't guess but didn't like anyway, she was still tied up. As soon as they'd arrived Neuro had dumped her on the couch (it had taken some wriggling and writhing to get into a sitting position) and had begun going through her books, throwing the ones he didn't find interesting in haphazard directions, and putting the ones he did like into a short stack that was steadily growing. He'd reached about twelve potentially interesting books when Yako's book collection ran dry.

"Yako, we're going to the library!" he announced.

"What, why?? Hold on a minute! NEURO!!!" But Neuro had already cut the ropes with his enormous claws, grabbed her by the head, and begun to drag her out the door. "NEURO, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THE LIBRARY WON'T BE OPEN!!!" she finally managed to wail.

Neuro paused. "You're right, there should be some bookstores still open though. We'll go there instead. You're paying." And hearing no more of Yako's complaints, they left.

Was it because she was so exhausted by now, or because she was so deep in thought that Yako finally gave up asking Neuro questions? Probably a bit of both. No matter how many questions she asked, worded whatever way, no matter how many times she asked those questions, Neuro didn't speak a word. They'd found a little bookstore near her apartment that was still open, and the demon had immediately begun reading through books at lightning-speed. Whatever books he thought were interesting he would hand to Yako. They all seemed to be books on psychology. How bizarre, since when was Neuro so interested in human nature…?

Just what was Neuro looking for?! Hitokiri had mentioned a puzzle of sorts, but what kind of puzzle was it, and how would these books help? There was so much she still didn't understand, and from how thoroughly Neuro had been ignoring her, Yako began to wonder if she would ever understand, at least before this whole thing was over. Or did Neuro expect her to just shut up, sit back, and watch, like he had during their earlier mysteries? Maybe he thought that five years off the job had reduced her to a useless 'dishrag' once more, and that she was no longer capable of meeting his expectations as she once had.

That thought made Yako's steps slow to a stop, her gaze lowering to the floor, even as Neuro hurried up one isle and down another. He didn't even notice her absence. Had he _ever_ noticed? How long had these past years been for him? Were they nothing to an immortal demon? Did he miss her during that time, even a little bit, even _at all_? Watching the demon stride between the rows and rows of books, emerald eyes focused on the mission at hand, Yako knew the answer. No, of course not. Not at all.

* * *

"Louse, how much money do you have on you?"

The young woman hurried through the isles, carefully balancing the books he'd chosen so far, and answered breathlessly, "Only a few thousand yen. I don't think you can get anymore than these, Neuro-"

"Do you have a credit card?"

"Ye-wait, there is NO way you're using my credit ca…" The dishrag's sentence died away as Neuro gave her those large, innocent eyes that he showed when he was being most threatening, putting a finger to his bottom lip, which quivered slightly to complete the look. The fear in Yako's eyes told the demon he'd gotten through to her. With a satisfied smirk, he turned back to the shelf of DVDs he'd been browsing. Of course he didn't _need_ to buy any of those books, if he read them only once (and he could get through all of them in a matter of minutes) he would have them entirely memorized. But torturing Yako made him feel better after his discouraging encounter with Hitokiri.

"What exactly are you looking for Neuro?" the louse suddenly asked. How many times had she asked him that now? When was she going to give up?! When he remained quiet, Yako added timidly, "Maybe I could help you find it…"

"Don't insult me, slave," Neuro answered cruelly. "Besides, you should be honored even to carry those books for you…" Suddenly, some text on a DVD case caught his eye and he picked it up, reading over the whole thing faster than light. Then he set the DVD on top of Yako's stack of books, pushed her over to the counter, watched with cruel satisfaction as she reluctantly handed over her credit card, then dragged her back to her apartment. As soon as they got in, Yako collapsed onto the couch and was asleep in minutes, while Neuro began flipping through his purchases. He took his time, using two eyes instead of the multitude he could pull from his hair if he chose, all of his attention focused on the written words

For the longest time since he met Yako, he believed that physical torture would make her surrender. Obviously, however, that had been an epic failure of a strategy. The girl was just too stubborn, and, annoyingly, Neuro knew that his slave was confident that he would never gravely harm her. Instead of striking fear into her, it had become quite the opposite. Somehow his slave had come to realize that her life was not in danger from him. On the contrary, Yako knew that he would protect her, and so whatever physical torture he would bring down upon her, she knew she was not in much real danger. Of course she would get many bruises and the occasional cut, but that was the extent of what Neuro was willing to do to her. After all, if he damaged her too much, she wouldn't be able to act as his cover. Yako was confident in that fact, and her belief in it kept her going through the pain.

Now Neuro was beginning to realize that perhaps his problem could be solved psychologically. Perhaps if he scared her enough… But hadn't he done that already? She was intimidated enough to obey him, but trusted him enough that he wouldn't kill her or cause her any lasting injury. No, he couldn't scare her into giving in. He had to try something else. But what else was there? That was what he was trying to find out.

The hours dragged on, and Neuro had made it through three books (without success), when he felt that annoying, weighted sensation in his eyelids. Fatigue, the humans called it. Neuro hated this feeling, this pathetically human feeling that impressed upon him the reality of his weakening condition. Demons should not become tired, but humans did. In Hell, he could run, fight, eat, think, do any kind of activity for as much and as long as he wanted and never have to succumb to fatigue. For five years he had enjoyed the freedom of never having to sleep (a vacation of sorts that he hoped would have a greater effect on him), but only being able to snack on little puzzles here and there had eventually become too much; he'd been forced to return, and now he was once again feeling the effects of the thinner miasma on the surface. Once again, all too soon, he was becoming human.

Attempting to struggle through a fourth book before finally giving in to sleep, Neuro began to hear queer noises from below. In order to feel more like a proper demon, he'd decided to camp out on the ceiling in the living room, and now, looking down at the couch where his slave slept, he realized that she was beginning to stir. That was strange; it was still dark, far too early in the morning for his exhausted slave to be waking up on her own. But what was even more strange occurred to Neuro when he noticed that Yako's eyes were still closed, her breathing still slow and even as in sleep. Could she possibly be sleep walking?!

Watching with a mixture of amusement and something like disgust, Neuro saw the girl shuffle slowly and limply into the kitchen, mumbling something under her breath that sounded like, "…little snack… just a bite…," and return with a large plate piled high with onigiri, possibly prepared earlier for this exact occasion. To Neuro's astonishment, she sat back down on the couch, set the plate on the coffee table, and began mechanically popping the onigiri into her mouth, one after another, still fast asleep.

For the quickest of split seconds, Neuro considered drooling on the food and reducing it to a smoldering pile of inedible filth, but the weight on his eyelids was becoming more powerful, and worse, more tempting. If he was willing to give up torturing the louse in order to sleep, he knew for sure he was decaying rapidly far too rapidly into a human. But even this thought faded into oblivion as he finally nodded off.

* * *

"Neuro! _Neuro!!_ Wake up! You have to get down_ RIGHT NOW!!_"

Neuro opened his eyes to the annoying sunshine slanting through the window. How long did he sleep? Being so disoriented was hardly comforting either. But the most annoying thing was Yako's persistent whispering. Wait, why would she be whispering?

"Neuro, Shorushi's at the door, you have to hide!!"

Hide? Ridiculous! At the sound of the louse's mate's name, Neuro hoped down from the ceiling, fully awake. Ignoring the horrified look on Yako's face and her furious hisses of protest, he strode to the door and opened it wide, beaming at the young man standing there.

Taru Shuroshi was a full head shorter than him, with sandy blond hair and clear green eyes, which were widened in great surprise as they stared up at Neuro from behind their glasses. He wore a plain, dark blue t-shirt and jeans, and to any human girl we was quite good looking. Neuro, however, being neither a girl _nor_ human, was hardly impressed by him.

"You must be Taru-san!" he said in his bubbly voice, grinning brightly. "Good morning!"

Shuroshi turned very red, trying to grasp the meaning of the situation without jumping to conclusions (Neuro did have his blue coat off after all, with just his matching pants and white vest underneath) and stuttered, "A-ah, yes, yes, I'm Taru Shuroshi. And you are Nougami Neuro from yesterday, right? I-I just was wondering if Yako-chan was-"

"Ah, Sensei is still sleeping," Neuro lied brightly, on hand behind his back holding on to Yako's face to keep her silent and away from the door.

The boy turned even deeper red at that. Neuro saw his eyebrow twitch and felt a surge of cruel triumph as Yako thrashed harder behind him. She bit down hard on his hand, but only succeeded inn chipping a tooth.

"I-Is she now…" Shuroshi stammered, his green eyes dimming with realization (he'd jumped to that conclusion at last, having no other option). 'Well then, in that case-" He turned to leave, and Neuro waved cheerfully, when suddenly-

"SHUROSHI-KUN!!!!!!"

Both men froze. Neuro felt a distinct pain in his wrist, the one attached to the hand he'd been holding Yako back with. She'd twisted it hard away from her mouth to free her voice. It shocked him so greatly that he didn't even notice when Yako shoved past him out the door.

"Shuroshi-kun, sorry, I was a-uh, in the bathroom," she said awkwardly, smiling embarrassedly at her boyfriend. "Oh, and pay no mind to Neuro, he likes to make up crazy stories like that, hehe…"

Shuroshi eyed her doubtfully. "Oh… okay," he said very slowly, like he hardly believed her. Then deciding it was better to save any further discussion of the incident until later, he went on, "I just wanted to see if you were still up for our date today." His gaze flickered to Neuro for a split second, still suspicious. "You weren't answering your cellphone, so I decided I should just come."

"Oh, right! Yeah, my battery died and I forgot to plug it in. Of course I'm okay with it, we can leave right now."

"Sure…"

And they were off, Shuroshi's arm around Yako's waist. Yako threw a look back at Neuro that was as threatening as she could make it, then turned away. They were soon gone.

For a long moment, Neuro was too surprised to do anything. His wrist no longer hurt from Yako turning it, it had healed quickly. Massaging it thoughtfully with his other hand, Neuro let himself be angry for a short moment. How dare his slave give her master such a look, or deliberately go against his wills. He'd never seen her so bold. Perhaps it was because of this boyfriend of hers. Perhaps it was because she liked this boy quite a bit and didn't want her demon boss interfering. Perhaps it was because they'd been apart for five years, and she was forgetting her place as Neuro had suspected. So what if she was 21 now, an independent young woman in her own mind with her own life and future? She was still his slave. Neuro's eyes narrowed angrily. And she would obey him.

Pushing his anger aside now, he went back inside and shut the door, locking it and barricading it with the couch from the living room. That would teach her to get an attitude with her master. Besides that, Neuro hated sharing his toys; Yako would learn that lesson as soon as she returned. Then he found his place on the ceiling, still rubbing his wrist thoughtfully. Though it had stopped hurting, it made him wonder. Had he really become so weak that a human girl could escape him so easily? His fist tightened as he stared hard at it. That couldn't be. Surely he was not turning human so rapidly after his return. He'd only returned to the surface a few weeks ago. Surely no… Surely not…

Disturbed and now in a very foul mood, Neuro hardly felt like reading anymore. This puzzle was getting old quickly. He had half a mind to return to the office and engage Hitokiri in battle right then and there. But what good would that do if he really was as weak as this? Against Hitokiri, the strength of Hell, he would be dead within minutes. No, his only choice was to solve this puzzle. But for the first time, a puzzle did not interest him.

All Neuro wanted at that moment was a very long rope, a bed of nails, and a little payback.

Replacing the couch in the living room, Neuro began the preparations, then spotted the DVD sitting atop his stack of books. He still hadn't watched it, and it had seemed like his best lead in this puzzle. Perhaps the louse's mutiny was partially justified; now he could watch it in peace without her bothering him.

Turning on the tv, Neuro put the DVD in, sat upside down on the couch, and waited.


	5. Hanging By A Thread

Author's Notes: This chapter feels OOC to me... :/ Mostly on Yako's part, but I feel like Neuro is a bit OOC too... I just can't tell what exactly I'm doing wrong or how to fix it though. If anyone can tell, please let me know. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

* * *

**Tag**

**Chapter 5**

**Hanging By A Thread  
**

Her frustration with Neuro was already beginning to fade as Yako and Shuroshi strolled down the street. The sun was bright, the day was young, and she'd be spending the entirety of it with her boyfriend; this was hardly the time to mope!

That, however, was just what Shuroshi was doing. Yako glanced over at him anxiously. Goodness knew what sort of conclusions he'd come up with after that embarrassing encounter. Yako's face went bright red as she realized what he must have thought – what he was obviously _still_ thinking.

"Hey… how long have you known that Neuro guy?" he finally asked. Yako winced, but faked a smile and said,

"A-About seven years…"

Shuroshi's eyes widened, then he looked at the ground. "That long, huh…"

"Yeah, but um…" Yako struggled, "well, he's been gone for five years, so really you could only count two years, so…"

"Oh."

"Yeah…"

"And do you two… are you guys…"

Yako's eyes widened. Was he seriously going to act that question?! Her and Neuro?! Her face turned a deeper shade of red at the thought.

"…live together? Like… Like…"

She felt like her mind was about to blow, her composure ready to shatter into a million pieces. He _was_ asking this question!! He was _seriously_ asking her this question! Before she almost shouted her answer at him, Yako remained silent, trying to take deep breaths. She had to remain calm.

It was true: she _cared_ about Neuro. She worried about his safety (a worry he was quick to remind her was both pointless and pathetic, though she knew better), she depended on him for her own safety, she trusted him, she wanted to be of use to him, she'd missed him and been somewhat lonely and a bit lost when he wasn't there…

But there was _no_ way she could be in _love_ with him! And even if she was, it would be a doomed relationship. First, Neuro was both immortal and a demon, making any relationship they had taboo. Second, and even more importantly, Neuro had no feelings that could even resemble love or compassion or even kindness. He was a twisted, sadistic, eccentric, selfish, egotistical, abusive, controlling creature, and would either only laugh at her or beat her senseless for even entertaining such a ridiculous thought as the two of them having a romantic relationship. And third, Neuro was too old for…

Oh…

That would have been her excuse before he'd disappeared if Yako had happened to be having the same discussion, but she was 21 now, almost 22, and Neuro was… Well, he was immortal, so age didn't really count for him, but if she had to go by his looks, she would say he was in his mid twenties or so.

_Well, that excuse is void now_, Yako thought despairingly.

The silence stretched on as Yako attempted to regain her composure, then she finally choked out, "N-No, we don't live together. He just likes to come over a lot- I mean, no! Well, you remember when I told you I was a detective in high school? Well, he was my assistant, and he just came back a couple days ago and… He wants me to start up the detective agency, yeah! Though I don't think I was that good, so he's just been giving me pep talks and stuff to convince me." Easily the worst lie she'd ever told. Yako tried to imagine Neuro being supportive and encouraging; she just couldn't see it.

Shuroshi, however, seemed somewhat comforted. "Oh, really?" he said, brightening a little. "Well I think that would be a great idea! You were really famous, you must have been good at it. And wasn't being a detective kind of fun?"

Remembering all the torture, psychotic criminals, and even more torture, Yako stuttered, "Y-Yeah, it was pretty fun." Might as well prepare herself. After all, as soon as this Hitokiri business was settled, there was no doubt in her mind that Neuro would reopen Katsuragi Yako's Demon Detective Agency with her as his cover, whether she wanted to or not.

"'Course you don't have to decide right away," Shuroshi added, suddenly blushing at something. "I mean, things could change…"

Glad the awkward conversation was over, Yako beamed and kissed him affectionately on the cheek. "Yeah, you're right," she agreed.

* * *

"I'm HOME!!!"

It had become a habit to shout that to her empty apartment, even though no one ever answered. This time however, Yako had expected some sort of reaction from the dark space. After all, hadn't a certain sadistic demon been camping out here all day alone? It was quiet. _Too_ quiet.

Yako took a cautious step forward, looking around. There were no lights on; Neuro could easily be lurking in a corner, watching her. The thought sent a cold tingle down her spine.

"Neuro?" she called tentatively. "Are you here?" She took another step forward, then another. No answer. Another step. She was in the living room now. There he was.

He was sitting upside down on the couch, watching the tv with his eyes half closed like he was about to fall asleep, but the emerald iris had dimmed so much, Yako was sure he really was asleep.

Glancing at the TV, Yako was surprised to see a movie that she recognized playing. What in the world was Neuro watching this kind of movie for?!

The demon had told her once that he believed movies and television shows were endlessly boring, and that he did not see the appeal of spending hours watching humans prancing around on cheesy sets reading dialogues almost as crappy as their acting. He'd said that the plots were totally obvious as well, and that he would never stoop so low as to watch a mystery movie, because it would not be worth his time or even the microscopic amount of brainpower it would take him to solve the case. In fact, he'd ended by saying that the only good thing to come out of television was the news, and Yako had never brought up movies or TV in his presence again.

And yet here her demented boss was, watching the very last kind of movie Yako could have ever guessed he would watch: a romance. And not just any romance, but a romantic _comedy_.

Yako took a step forward, then felt something tighten around her ankle. Looking down, she saw a loop of rope. Before she could so much as groan, the rope had yanked her into the air, a maze of well-placed rope tying her up so tightly she couldn't move a muscle, and dropped her back down very close to the ground. Her head spinning from her unexpected capture, it took Yako a few seconds to realize that she was dangling dangerously close to a large bed of nails which she was positive had not been there two seconds ago. Then, hearing a strange scratching sound, Yako craned her head as best as she could to see above her. The two ropes attaching her to the ceiling (she suddenly noticed a system of hooks and pulleys and rope crisscrossing the entire ceiling) were infested with small red bug-type creatures with four eyes each and trumpet like mouths. As she watched in horror, these little creatures crawled a little ways down the thick ropes, turned their mouths towards the rope, and began breathing very tiny streams of fire at them.

She was done for now. Yako writhed, trying to shake the little monsters off the ropes, but to no avail. Suddenly Neuro's pleased chuckle made her heart jump with real fear, and Yako sucked in a breath as he sat on her back, bending it almost into a "u." Her stomach was dangerously close to those nails now. If only Neuro really had been asleep!!

"You've been most insolent and disobedient, louse," the demon began, crossing his legs and getting comfy as Yako groaned and gasped. "I fear five years of idleness has reduced you to the amoeba you were at the start. It is time to begin your retraining!"

So her theory had been correct! Yako struggled against the suffocating ropes and the weight on her back, certain her spine was ready to snap like a twig. Any second now and those tiny fires would burn through the rope and she'd be plunged into those nails. For the first time in a long time, Yako was truly afraid for her life.

"I-I-I'm sorry Neuro!!" was all she could manage to squeak. "I'm sorry!!"

"Hmm, are you sure?" Neuro hummed, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Yes!!" Yako gasped. "I'm sorry Neuro!!"

"And what are you going to do about it?" the demon questioned slyly.

"I'll be a detective again! I won't ever complain!!"

"And?"

"And I'll meet all your expectations! I'll work double hard and I'll never be late!"

"_And?_"

"I'll… I'll…" the louse seemed to have run out of promises to make. Neuro let her flounder for a few seconds, then demanded,

"Will you become my slave, body and soul and mind, _forever_?"

Yako's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again, making her look like some sort of giant fish out of water. With a twinge of disappointment, Neuro knew her answer before she even said it.

"W-What?! No!!"

Snapping his fingers, Neuro called his slave's attention upwards to the ropes, which the monsters were burning quickly through.

Yako's eyes bulged, as if she could see the very seconds ticking away until her life ended. She glanced at the bed of nails, then back at the ropes, then back at the nails, wondering in terror if Neuro really would let her die. But he couldn't do that! Didn't he need her to act as his cover?! It would be a difficult thing to find another slave equally willing to put up with him, there was no way Neuro would actually kill her, not after all they'd been through! Didn't he care at all?!

The ropes snapped.

* * *

Neuro was enjoying this. Yes, he was enjoying this very much indeed. Though he'd failed once again to get his slave to submit to him, the look on her face at that second was too priceless for words.

Yako's eyes were wider than saucers, her pupils shrunk to pinpoints, her mouth hanging wide open with a silent scream, the color completely gone from her face, still as a statue. Even in the dim silver light from the TV, he could enjoy the sight as the louse lay on the "bed of nails."

A minute of silence passed. Then another. Suddenly Neuro saw a light of revelation dawn in Yako's eyes and chuckled. His slave finally moved, looking down at what she'd assumed would be the cause of an early death. But she was laying on her belly on the floor. Correction: she was laying on her belly, on a painting, on the floor.

"A… a… p-p-painting…" the girl croaked, her voice so hoarse it barely came out at all. "It was a… painting…"

Neuro waited, wondering what she would do next. He'd never seen her so terrified as she had been in that moment; what the aftermath of such a shock and fear could be, he was curious to know.

Suddenly he saw it, a thing he'd only seen on two marked occasions. The first time he had just devoured the mystery of Denjin H.A.L. and his slave had gotten emotional over some human thing and slapped his hand away. The second time she had quit the detective agency after the death of two very good friends of hers, and he'd watched her run out the door for what he'd thought would be the last time. Now, for the first time, Neuro wondered if he really had gone too far. For what he saw running down his slaves face was a single large tear.

And then the floodgates opened.

"HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT, I COULD HAVE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!! I JUST WENT ON A DATE, THAT'S ALL IT WAS, NOT LIKE YOU NEEDED ME AROUND TODAY ANYWAY!!! YOU HAVEN'T NEEDED ME FOR FIVE FREAKING YEARS, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU COME BACK AND ACT LIKE YOU OWN EVERYTHING AND LIKE NOTHING HAS CHANGED! BUT IT HAS, NEURO, IT HAS IT HAS IT HAS!!! AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!!!"

The tears were flowing freely now, and her voice was gone. Neuro was too surprised to react. This was something he'd never seen happen before, not even when Yako had quit and run away. Then, she'd only said that she wished they had never met. Now it sounded more like she was angry – check that, furious - that he'd _left_, which was far more disturbing. It left him utterly speechless.

Neuro didn't know what it was, but there was something about seeing his slave cry that gave him a singularly bad feeling in his stomach. If there was one thing he didn't want to make Yako do, it was to make her cry. Scream, sure. Wince, why not? His slave could gasp, fall, sweat, look uneasy, trip, whine, whatever. But crying? No, she was not supposed to cry. The two times he'd ever seen her cry had left a sick taste in his mouth. They were the two times he'd felt the most human. He hated that weakness, that feeling of compassion – if ever so fragile and dim – that he got. He'd do anything to keep from feeling that way, and yet, both times it had happened, and now, he hadn't had the foggiest idea how to make it stop. So he would wait. She would tire herself out eventually.

Yako sobbed for a long time, how long Neuro wasn't sure. He just watched her as she let all of her anger out, still tied up, though she hardly seemed to notice now. She just kept crying, muttering something occasionally like, "…you idiot, you freaking demonic idiot…" or, "…never tell me anything, why don't you just leave me the heck alone…" even just, "…five years… five years… didn't know where you were…"

Finally, as she seemed to regain a bit of her composure, Neuro knelt down, cut the ropes, then sat down on the couch. Yako laid there on the floor for a minute or two, sniffling, then eventually dragged herself up and made her way into the kitchen. She didn't even turn on the light, but Neuro had a feeling she knew that place like the back of her hand anyway. In about ten minutes she returned with three enormous bowls of popcorn, set them on the coffee table, and sat down on the carpet across from him. Eyes on her food, she didn't speak, she didn't cry, she just sniffled as she kept the popcorn going from the bowl to her mouth. Neuro got the impression that she was waiting for him to speak. Unwilling to give in to his slave's desires, but even more unwilling to be the cause of another overly emotional outburst (which had left him feeling just a _twinge_ guilty), he obliged.

"In the state that I was in after my final battle with Sicks, I had to return to Hell immediately to heal, or I would have been dead in a matter of hours," he began. Yako kept her eyes down, which was good. Neuro didn't want to see the victorious little gleam in her brown eyes that he was sure would be there. It just might tempt him to put her through more tortures, and then they'd really be done. She would never be his slave again if he did anything else to upset her tonight.

"I've been in Hell this whole time, trying to recover my strength, and refilling the demon batteries that help me to keep it, even while in the human world and without mysteries to consume. I would have stayed longer, but there are no good mysteries in Hell since I solved them all, so I had to return early."

Yako raised her head. The red circles around her eyes were the only evidence that she had been crying; now she was calm and focused. Obviously she felt better now that he was telling her what she wanted to know.

"You haven't had a good mystery for five years?" she asked, sounding almost horrified. "That's why you were sleeping so soundly!"

"Explain?" was all Neuro could say.

"This morning, I was talking to you for several minutes before you woke up."

Neuro's eyes narrowed. "Oh?"

"Yeah…" Yako said quietly. "And when I got home, were you actually sleeping, or just faking it?"

Neuro didn't answer, but Yako could guess. Her eyes were filled with worry when they looked at him. Out of all the looks she'd ever given him, the demon hated that look most of all; that pitying face that was designed to make him feel weak. It was the most maddening thing to see it pointed towards himself, so he promptly reached over the coffee table and twisted Yako's head a full 180 degrees.

"Enough questions, louse," he ordered. "I have more to say."

"Oww… you didn't need to be so forceful about it…" Yako groaned, rubbing her neck tenderly.

"When I returned from Hell, I went immediately to the office," Neuro continued, ignoring her comment. "When I arrived, I found it smeared with blood and that none other than Hitokiri had decided to move in. That is when we decided on our little game."

"Hitokiri was at the office?!" Yako burst. And Shuroshi had asked if she'd wanted to visit the building today too, to check out the state of things and how much work would have to be done to restore it for the reopening of Katsuragi Yako's Demon Detective Agency. She was relieved now that she had declined, out of fear that Neuro might be there. It did cheer her up to know that her boyfriend supported her becoming a detective again, though.

"Yes, and he ruined my desk," Neuro answered, eyeing her sadistically. "You'll have to stand in as one until I can find a replacement."

"No way!" Yako refused immediately. "But anyway, Neuro, that's _if_ we can get the office back. How are you going to defeat Hitokiri if you're so weak like this?"

Yako realized to late that she'd said the wrong thing. Neuro reached over the coffee table again, so fast she didn't even see him move, grabbed her by the head, and yanked her across it, bringing her face close to his so that his emerald eyes bored into her. He had his claws out and his pointed teeth bared in a terrifying scowl. She'd accidentally called him weak or underestimated him before, but Yako had never seen him this angered by it before.

"Do not dare to insult me, slave," he threatened darkly, holding the razor sharp talons dangerously close to her neck. "I am _not_ weak!"

There was a long moment of silence in which they both knew that he was lying. Enraged, Neuro slammed Yako's face into the couch cushion next to him.

"Sleep, dishrag," he commanded harshly, then stood and disappeared into the kitchen. Yako heard the door open, then slam shut with almost enough force to shatter the windows. Thankfully, they survived, but the windows were the last thing on Yako's mind at that moment. She was well over her crying, but she'd seen something in Neuro's eyes that made her just as sad, something she was well used to seeing, but something that she could feel in the pit of her stomach was a bad thing for Neuro of all people to be: he was fearless.

Leaping to her feet, Yako ran out the door, down the stairs and into the street, ready at any moment to spot the tall, blue-clad figure. So ready was she that she uttered his name before she even saw him.

"Neuro-!"

But he was already gone.

Yako paused for a moment, then kept running. She had to tell him not to do anything stupid. She had to tell him it would be all right. She had to comfort him… somehow. But how could one comfort a demon that seemed bound and determined to get himself killed?!

He'd lost his patience at last. He knew the answer to the puzzle, but he would not stoop so low as to solve it that way. No, Neuro had decided long ago that he would end this his way. Whatever came of it, he _refused_ to become a human. He refused to become a weak, pathetic, mindless, _feeling_ bug like all humans were. He refused to become flawed like them. He absolutely refused.


	6. I Can't Swallow My Pride

**Author's Notes: Okay, after much tweaking, I FINALLY like how this chapter sounds. XD Took me long enough, sorry you guys... But this chapter is the longest yet, so I guess I have some excuse. XD Enjoy!!  
**

**Tag**

**Chapter 6**

**I Can't Swallow My Pride  
**

His office, dripping with blood and shadows; it was the perfect stage. He was ready to end this. And maybe, just _maybe_, he could begin to reverse this… "transformation" into a human. It was a long shot, but then, so was this battle. Hitokiri was vastly more powerful than himself. He hadn't been bluffing when he told Neuro that even at the height of his power, he couldn't defeat the Man-slayer. Yes, it was a long shot, but Neuro would take it.

Throwing the office door open, Neuro stepped inside and shut it behind him. Only one demon would be emerging from this room, and he would make sure it was himself.

There was Hitokiri, sitting atop Troy, looking thoroughly proud of himself. His red and silver eye glinted dangerously.

"So…" he hissed, "you've realized it too. I can see it in your eyes. You've solved the puzzle, Neuro." He paused, as if he thought Neuro would speak, but the demon did not reply, so he continued, "But you have not devoured it yet. Why? Is it that… you are _afraid_?"

"I do not feel fear," Neuro finally said, his voice a bit more firm than he would have liked. He didn't sound confident at all.

"You mean you _did_ not feel fear. But you've been changing lately, have you not, Neuro? Becoming more _human_. Humans feel fear, I have seen it countless times. That is how I figured out the puzzle before our challenge even began. In their last moments of life, when they are certain they will die, humans become truly interesting beings. They begin to tell the truth to themselves, and they show emotions that they never would have had they not known they were about to die. The first is, of course, fear. But I have seen other emotions as well, very curious ones.

"I once devoured a family. There was a mother, a father, and a small boy. Him I let live, he was not ripe enough to eat. But the child's parents were most delicious… Anyway, I observed that just before I devoured them, they were holding each other close. The man's arms were wrapped around his wife protectively, though they knew it was futile. It was only later that I realized that he was trying to comfort her. The woman had her head buried in her husband's chest, and her fingers were tangled in his hair. They were intertwined in such a way that I couldn't separate them, so I devoured them both whole. But it got me to thinking; what was their motive for this curious action? Was it to seek comfort in their last moments of life with the person most dear to them? That could have been it, but I also believe that it was because, no matter how afraid they were, they believed that they would be together forever. The look of contentment and confidence in the man's eyes just before he died; I will never forget it. That is how I knew the answer.

"So tell me, Neuro, how did you discover the puzzle's answer? It must have been most interesting." Hitokiri smiled darkly.

"Not at all," Neuro replied, succeeding in keeping his voice casual this time, though he was deeply annoyed by what Hitokiri was insinuating. "I watched an educational film."

Hitokiri sighed. "You really are turning out to be a boring creature, Neuro. Why are you so set on denying me my fun? I bet if you weren't so stingy, you could have some fun yourself," he added with a mocking smirk. "At this rate, you'll never devour this mystery, and I'll be the victor of our game."

Neuro's eyes narrowed. He was not interested in this sort of conversation. He wanted this over. He wanted to seek out another mystery, a better one, the Ultimate Mystery.

"But don't worry," Hitokiri went on, pulling Neuro out of his thoughts. "It seems you have come here to fight me, am I right? Too scared to consume this puzzle, and so you've taken the easy way out. But know this: I am going to win everything.

"Oh don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll drain you of every last ounce of magic and lock you up in chains until you eventually become a human. I'll make you sit through the transformation and be there every step of the way to mock and torment you. I'll wave what used to be yours in your face, your territory, your mysteries, even your servants, and especially Yako. Of course I won't kill her immediately. We'll live a happy life together, and she won't even realize… not until it's too late…"

Neuro forced himself to smile. "Do you think I am interested in what you have to say?" he demanded. "You're being far too confident, Hitokiri."

"Only one way to find out," Hitokiri shot back. He threw his hand forward, and it warped into a jet of shadows and claws. Neuro dodged, but the shadow was curving back around like a giant black snake, intending to wrap him up and squeeze the life from his body. Dodging again, Neuro unleashed his claws and swung at the twisting arm. His hand went straight through, and the shadows that had dissipated somewhat from the contact soon reformed. Then a hand shot out of the shadowy trail, grabbed Neuro by the throat, and threw him into the wall with the force of a freight train. It left a huge hole.

Neuro had barely recovered when he felt the grip again on his neck and felt himself slam into the opposite wall. That same black hand released him, sprouted claws, and dove at him again. He barely had enough time to block, but the tip of the claws slashed his face anyway. The hand drew back again, talons coming together in one knife, and lunged. Neuro could divert its path, but couldn't escape completely. Blood poured from his right side, just below his ribcage.

"Devour your mystery, Neuro!" Hitokiri commanded, his voice ringing with victory. "This battle is futile, you can't even touch me!"

The smile twisted into shock as Neuro's demon form slammed head first into his gut, knocking the wind out of him. Flipping backward over his own head, Neuro landed with one foot atop Troy, one planted firmly on Hitokiri's chest. He was just about to take a bite out of the Man-slayer's head when something wrapped around his neck and jerked him backwards. He fell hard on his back with Hitokiri's shadow arms enclosed tightly his neck. The other demon launched himself off of Troy and landed with his knees on Neuro's chest, his eyes wild with real fury. Neuro returned to his human form, his clawed hands swinging for Hitokiri's face, just grazing his cheek, then going right through. The Man-slayer was hardly scathed.

The blackness was growing around the edges of Neuro's vision. His lungs were beginning to burn. If a human had tried to strangle him, he would have hardly felt the pressure on his skin. But Hitokiri, strength of Hell, was crushing his throat like an empty soda can, while he was pinned on the ground, unable to fight back. It hurt like nothing else, not just his body, but also his ego.

As if being strangled wasn't enough, Hitokiri was using his morphing powers to the fullest. Strands of his hair became small red needles and broke off from his head, flying in and out in a deadly whirlwind. Bunches of needles pierced Neuro's skin as they flew all around them, tearing and stabbing. The pain was excruciating.

"You've lost Neuro!!" Hitokiri growled. "You've lost everything! And I-"

Suddenly, his head jerked up, all his attention refocused on something outside the door. Even through the fog falling over his senses, Neuro could hear it too, even before he could smell it, even before it entered the building. A familiar heartbeat and a well known pattern of footsteps, perhaps frantic and jumpy, but easily recognizable nonetheless. Neuro could tell those sounds anywhere.

Hitokiri recognized them too. A maniacal smile spread over his face, baring all his fangs.

"My, this is an unexpected surprise," he almost purred as they both listened to Yako open the door to the building and begin rushing up the stairs two at a time. "She obviously followed you to stop you from doing anything stupid. A bit late I'm afraid. But it's the thought that counts, as the humans say, isn't it…"

For the first time, Neuro regretted. He should _never_ have explained a _word_ to that stupid louse! But… how could he put it… Perhaps it was her expression- No, he couldn't go there. That was straying dangerously close to how a human would feel and react. A human would feel pity and give in to another's requests. He had _not_ felt pity, and he most certainly hadn't given in! He'd only granted the louse's wish _just once_ to keep her from crying again, purely because it was annoying. And now he wished he'd just let her bawl her eyes out.

Thanks to his explaining the gist of what was going on (his first mistake), Yako knew that Hitokiri was camping out in the old detective office. She'd tried to get involved in his plans and upset him, thus causing him to rush out blindly into battle (his second mistake). And _now_, thanks to the fact that she was so annoyingly loyal and caring – one of the worst of a human's traits – she'd come running after him (_her_ first and probably last mistake).

_But just think, _Neuro reminded himself, trying to figure a way out of this situation, _now that the louse has come, Hitokiri is distracted, which gives me the advantage. I cannot defeat him, but at least we can get out of here._

The two demons listened in silence, Hitokiri's hands still wrapped around Neuro's throat while he sat on his chest, as the human girl climbed the last flight of stairs and ran to the door. Neuro was somewhat surprised when she didn't even hesitate to swing the door open, even when she knew what could be waiting for her. Foolish move…

"Neuro!!" he heard her scream. Then suddenly, Hitokiri's grip tightened severely, pulling a horrible garbled sound out of the victim. The Man-slayer slowly stood up and moved to the side, bringing Neuro up by the neck as he went. The smile hadn't left his lips.

"Yako-chan…" He was really purring now, as he held Neuro off the ground like he was nothing but a rag doll. Through his just opened eyes, Neuro was somewhat glad to see that at least his slave was smart enough to remember his warning – she kept her eyes firmly planted on the ground, though she looked like she was fighting to keep them there. "So glad you could come. I was afraid your demon would black out completely before you came to his rescue."

Bringing his arm back, Hitokiri tossed said demon to the floor at Yako's feet. The human flinched as Neuro landed in a particularly large pool of blood, splattering the red liquid all over her. "Now take him and get out. I refuse to let this game end so soon." He raised his voice, addressing Neuro now. "I will not say it again. You _will_ devour this mystery, Neuro. Despite how dense you might be, I can only hope I've finally beaten the truth into you. Now both of you get out of my sight."

Then he turned his back. Neuro was ready to leap up and charge him again, but was surprised when two small human hands took a hold of his shoulders, like they were trying to help him up. Had the louse completely lost her mind?! Thinking she had to aid _him_, the great demon Nougami Neuro?!

He could have easily fought her grip, and she would have gone face first into the pool of blood, but that was something even he would not make her do. As grudgingly as possible, he allowed her to guide him into a standing position. By the time he was on his feet, they were facing each other. Yako still had her eyes turned away from Hitokiri's general direction, and the Man-slayer still had his back turned. It was infuriating to walk away like this, to just be _let go_ instead of to escape by his own power and wits, especially since it was hard to walk at all. The pain in his side was growing every minute, as well as the slashes on his face and body. No doubt they were poisoned.

Yako had unnecessarily draped his left arm over her shoulder, her hand planted firmly on his back. As if she could support him for real. Neuro thought about putting his full weight on her and enjoying watching her fall and himself land on her. But the pain was distracting. More than his desire to go back and finish his battle, no matter what the outcome, he wanted to rest. Rest would help heal the wounds, and hopefully his own body could handle the poisons.

Neither said a word the whole way home. Neuro was dryly amused when Yako attempted to support him and unlock the door to her apartment at the same time. Though he did admire her dedication. No matter what he'd said before, he'd certainly trained her well. Though some tiny voice inside of him said that her loyalty had nothing whatsoever to do with his training.

They entered the dark apartment, and Yako led the demon straight to her bedroom. She didn't bother to flip on the light, but went right for the bed, and did her best to help him gently into it. She even adjusted the pillows as best as she could, though there was no way she could fix the fact that Neuro's ridiculously long legs stretched about a foot and a half off the end of the bed.

The demon just watched as she straightened the pillows here and there, let her adjust his head so that he was more comfortable, then as she left and returned with a wet washcloth. Pfft, he didn't need that. Nevertheless, he didn't stop her as she pulled up a chair beside the bed and began dabbing at the long slashes across his face. The warm water felt very good against the torn skin. He had to stifle a contented sigh.

"They were caused by a demon," Yako said by way of explanation, the first thing she'd uttered since screaming his name. Neuro noticed her voice was slightly shaking. "I know I'm no expert, but I'm guessing wounds caused by another demon take longer to heal…" She gave a tiny, choked laugh. "Or maybe I'm just being silly," she added with a forced smile.

Neuro was silent as she finished cleaning the wounds on his face. Then, setting the washcloth aside, the human hesitated, as if unsure if she should really proceed or if she would just be punished. Neuro remained still, though, so she proceeded to reach over him and begin undoing the buttons on his suit. Once that was done, she gently peeled it away from his bloody body, opening the jacket so that she could start unbuttoning the similarly blood-stained vest underneath. She lay that open too, then untied his scarf, folded it neatly, and set it on her night stand.

* * *

"I guess calling an ambulance is out of the question, right?" Yako finally spoke again, as she sat back and took a look at the vicious wounds all over his chest and stomach. They were deep, even she could tell that much, and they were bleeding badly. Nevertheless, she knew Neuro would never accept help from human doctors. She was actually very surprised he'd let her do this much.

"Of course not," Neuro replied in answer to her question. That was the first thing Yako had heard him say since he'd stomped out her door. She was glad to hear that familiar proud tone in his voice. She he'd come out of this battle _mostly_ unscathed. Or was he just pretending? Yako had a bad feeling that it was the second option.

"You'll have to sit up for a little while then," she said, brushing her worries aside for the moment. "I can't bandage you while you're lying down. They might heal quickly, but until then we should try and slow the bleeding."

Neuro seemed to consider this for a moment, then promptly turned his head away. "Nope, too tired."

_Why you…_ Stupid male ego!! He just didn't want her bandaging his wounds! Well maybe he was confident that he would heal quickly enough, but Yako knew that that much blood-loss, even for a demon, had to be bad news.

"Fine then," she announced, rolling up her sleeves and standing, "I'll do it myself then."

For ten long minutes Yako tried to pull Neuro a just few inches off the bed. Maybe this would have been possible if he were human, but the demon was apparently able to make himself as heavy as a large sack of lead bricks at will, and so making it impossible to lift him. Shoving and heaving and panting, Yako tried and tried to pry her fingers under Neuro's side, under his shoulder, even under his head, but it was no use.

"There's no reason for you to be so difficult you know!" she finally exclaimed, her face flushed from the exertion. "I already know you're going to heal fine! You'll be back to your normal insane self in a day or two. But something tells me it'll be really hard to get demon blood stains off my comforter, and I have enough on there already, so would you _please_ let me bandage that?!"

Finally turning to look at her again, Neuro smiled blankly and shot into a sitting position. They both knew it hurt a lot, but the blank face never even twitched. Sighing in a half-victory tone, Yako climbed onto her bed in front of the demon, pulled his jacket and vest the rest of the way off, cleaned the wounds with a new washcloth, took a roll of medical wraps and started bandaging him up.

* * *

Yako's hands were cool against his skin. Had humans always felt this cold to him? He couldn't know, seeing as how he'd never even come close to allowing one to touch him this way. It felt different, though, a good kind of different.

Neuro could feel the girl's fingers trembling as she worked. Was it that she was still upset about him being injured – a pathetic thought on its own – or could it possible be something else? Her face was strangely red in the darkness, and her eyes were a bit too focused, like she was fighting to keep them so.

* * *

Now that Yako thought about it, she realized that this was the very first time she'd ever seen Neuro without a shirt. Now she was not the type to obsess over tight abs or anything like that, but even she couldn't help but admire Neuro's lean, muscular build, even if it was covered in nasty gashes and bleeding profusely (Yako wondered how her tastes had become so morbid all of a sudden). She'd also never noticed how broad his shoulders were, and how small she felt compared to him, though, somehow, even more safe because of that.

As she wrapped the bandage around and around his chest, Yako fought to keep a blush off her cheeks and her eyes (or hands) from wandering. The demon felt very warm to her, but it was a comfortable warmth, and after running around in the cold night air, it felt very good to her cool, shaky hands.

_No!! Stop it Yako, you can't think like that! You have a boyfriend, a nice, caring, non-sadistic, _human _boyfriend who loves you very much! And you love him too! So just snap out of it!_

She quickly finished after that and climbed hurriedly off the bed. Neuro settles back down into it, though Yako had to admit, he looked entirely out of place lying there on his back.

"I just remembered: this is your first time sleeping in a bed isn't it?" she asked, somewhat amused.

Neuro gave her an annoyed look, and she figured it was best to stop right there. He'd had a difficult night, he was undoubtedly still hungry, and certainly being cared for by a human was frustrating for him. Yako mumbled a feeble good night and stood to leave.

Suddenly, she felt a tight grip on her wrist, and she was swung around to face Neuro again. He took a hold of her collar, beginning to slowly but surely pull her down towards him. At first, Yako's mind went totally blank. What the heck was he doing?! Then she saw his emerald gaze focused on her lips, and the stunning reality hit her.

Was he… was he trying to… planning to… _kiss_ her??

Alarms went off all over in Yako's mind. Her previous argument came back to her in a whirl. _You have a boyfriend! Kissing your sadistic literally demonic boss is a big fat NO-NO! Why does he even want to kiss you anyway?! He doesn't feel that way about you, he can't! It has to be some sort of trick, get away Yako, quick before it's too late!!!_

But the poor girl had nowhere to go. With Neuro's hand firmly gripping her collar, she couldn't run even if she wanted to. Wait- didn't she want to?!_ Stop thinking such things, Yako!!!_

Then their lips touched and everything went blank. For a few long, amazing seconds, Yako was perfectly still, basking in the shock and wonder of what was happening. She almost relaxed. Almost.

Suddenly, the very last thing either of them expected to happen did: the phone rang. Like waking up from a dream – or was it a nightmare – reality flooded back through Yako and she shoved away. Something told her Neuro had let her go. She was sure that if he'd wanted her to stay, she could never have gotten away from him.

Stuttering so hard she couldn't manage a single word for a long moment, Yako turned an amazing shade of red. Then, failing to come up with anything, she blurted, "I need to get that," and quickly left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Fumbling with the phone until she finally picked it up the right way and hit "talk," Yako tried to keep her voice from cracking as she said, "Hello?"

"_Yako-chan! Thank God… Where are you? Are you all right?!_

Yako felt her stomach flip and her lips tingle unpleasantly. Guilt flooded through her as she recognized the voice of her one and only boyfriend on the line.

"A-ah, yeah, yeah, I'm fine, everything's fine," she stuttered. "Uh, why do you ask?"

"_Hinako-san just called and said that he saw you and Nougami-san hobbling down the street covered in blood! She tried to follow but you guys disappeared before she could catch up. Are you _sure_ everything's all right?? Your voice sounds really shaky."_

"Huh? O-oh that, um, I was just trying not to yawn," Yako lied, faking a yawn that sounded more like a whimper. "Listen, Shuroshi-kun, I'm really tired right now. How about we talk in the morning, okay?"

"_Oh, okay… If you're _positive_ everything's all right."_

"I'm positive," Yako lied again, this time much more convincingly.

"_Okay then. I'll call Hinako-san and tell her to lay off the coffee in the middle of the night…"_

"Heheh, you do that…"

"_Love you."_

"Love you too."

* * *

It had happened again. The human had pulled away from him forcefully, and with such apparent ease. Was he so weak?! Even a human could have kept her from leaving, and he, a demon, could _not_?? Things were beginning to look truly desperate.

Neuro was no expert on human emotions, but even he could tell that he would have to be a bit more subtle. But no matter, that could all be corrected in due time. He had a feeling Hitokiri was perfectly willing to give him that time, just so long as he didn't get too close to devouring the puzzle. Again, it didn't matter. Neuro was going to devour this puzzle _his_ way, and nothing would ever stand in the way of himself and a mystery, even if the mystery was one he hadn't wanted to devour in the first place. He was Nougami Neuro, and whatever he wanted would be his, regardless of reason.

Speaking of which, there was still the problem of the louse's little mate… With dastardly plots whirling through his mind, the demon finally fell asleep.

Despite not waking up, he was somehow aware when, several hours later, Yako came back and sat for a long time just watching him sleep.


	7. Highly Suspect

**Author's Notes: GRRRRR, this took so loooooong!! Please please forgive me, I've been way out of touch with my writing lately... So yeah... I hope you like this chapter! PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW, and I will do my absolute best to update more quickly!**

**Oh, and the title for this chapter was inspired by the chef's lines from Pixar's Ratatouille, when he was ranting and kept saying, "The whole thing is HIGHLY SUSPECT!!" XD I just get a kick out of that every time...**

**Disclaimer: Don't owwwwnnnn...  
**

**Tag**

**Chapter 7**

**Highly Suspect  
**

The demon awoke to late-morning sunshine filtering through the blinds. He felt exceedingly better; the pain was completely gone. Slowly rising into a sitting position, he began unwrapping the bandages to check if the wounds had disappeared. Instead, every single scratch had left a nasty green and blue mark like a bruise, and even though the wounds had healed over with scabs, they were splitting and oozing clear liquid.

Grimacing, Neuro replaced the bandages. So, Hitokiri's poison had been more powerful than he thought. If his wounds were left like this, who knew what would happen in another few days? Sighing in frustration, Neuro slid off the bed, pulled one of the triangular demon batteries from his hair, and snapped it between his pointed teeth. He looked to the mirror above Yako's dresser just in time to see an enormous green and blue mark that had covered the entire left side of his face where he'd been scratched disappear. He could feel the wounds on his body fading away too.

_Hitokiri will pay for that_, he promised himself.

Finding his vest, jacket, and scarf laying neatly folded on a chair in the corner, Neuro repaired the holes and stains in his clothes with a bit of magic, then slipped them on. Only then did he realize that he was not alone in the room. Sitting in another chair next to the bed, head resting on her folded arms, was Yako, fast asleep. Had she been there the whole time? How long had he been asleep anyway?

The clock on the nightstand announced that he'd been out cold for ten hours straight. No wonder he felt better, that was quite a bit of rest. But it still bothered him to think that he'd slept that long. A human bed wasn't that comfortable… Though now that Neuro thought about it, Yako's bed had been quite soft and comfortable, even if it was a few feet too short for him. His wounds hadn't stung so bad, at least, while he lay on it. Perhaps mattresses weren't all that bad after all.

Stepping over to where Yako slept, the demon recalled the girl's conversation with her little mate the other night. It irked him that he'd been seen in such a pathetic state by another human. If this Shuroshi started getting ideas that he was weak, Neuro would set him straight the hard and painful way. So what if Yako claimed she loved him? Obviously the human had very poor taste in mates, a trait he would have to correct.

Growling slightly at the implied meaning of that thought, Neuro flicked Yako in the head to wake her up. She jumped higher than he'd anticipated, and when she saw him her eyes practically bulged and her face went bright red. At first the demon was puzzled by this somewhat dramatic reaction. Then he remembered.

Oh yes. He'd kissed her last night.

Apparently the action of 'kissing' was not so common among humans as he had believed. Though he couldn't possibly hope to understand it, Neuro had seen humans kissing countless times, and in all different environments. Humans kissing in the park, in a store, in the car; a quick kiss on the cheek as a goodbye when they left for work, a kiss of greeting, or even a kiss in between. Surely a kiss couldn't have that much significance if it was tossed around so much like that.

But apparently it was something entirely different to Yako. She'd been stunned silly last night, and this morning her surprise and embarrassment didn't seem to have diminished. Maybe it was the fact that it was her demonic boss kissing her? No, that couldn't be it. Yako knew she belonged to him. He could do whatever he pleased with her, and that included kissing, whatever the meaning for humans could be. If he wanted it (and he wanted to devour this mystery and finish his game with Hitokiri more than anything else), he would get it.

Still, that sort of attitude wouldn't help him reach his goal. He was trying to devour this mystery, not terrify Yako (no matter how much he enjoyed that). Neuro would have to start thinking differently if he didn't want to make another mistake like last night. He'd have to go slower, be gentler, more human.

This was going to be a _real_ pain…

First things first was to make the louse forget about last night. It would make things truly difficult for him if she was resisting before he even began. The best way to erase his mistake was, of course, to just be himself.

"What are you gawking at, louse?" he demanded coldly.

Yako blushed harder, flustered. "I… you… I mean… Your wounds, they're better already?"

Neuro hoped she wouldn't notice one of the batteries missing from his hair, but he noticed her gaze focus on where the battery used to be and realization dawn on her face. Who knew she was so observant… "Of course, slave," he said anyway. "Just who do you think I am?" Yako was silent, so he walked past the bed to the door. "Let's go, Yako, this hovel of yours is cramped."

Yako scrambled to her feet after him. "Shuroshi is actually really worried about me. I should call him and let him know I'm okay."

"Let your little mate worry himself sick, we're going," Neuro ordered, promptly taking hold of her head and dragging her out the door.

* * *

To a human, today would be an absolutely gorgeous day. It was warm, just the hint of a cool breeze, the sun was shining with not a cloud in sight, and the air was fresh. To a demon, it was all bland and foreign. To someone like Neuro, however, it was just the usual, nothing to see, nothing to ignore either. His mind was elsewhere anyway.

Once they'd reached the crowded streets, he'd allowed Yako to walk on her own, so long as she stayed near him and didn't attempt to stray off. Not that she had ever attempted it, but she'd never had a boyfriend she seemed intent on calling either. Unbeknownst to her, Neuro had rebuilt her cellphone and changed her number, but that couldn't stop Shuroshi from calling the house phone. Neuro had Yako outside now though, so however many times he called, or even if he decided to visit, it would be futile.

"So… where are we going, Neuro?" Yako asked timidly. So she still hadn't forgotten that kiss. What would he have to do to drive it from her mind? Neuro knew of only one thing.

"To the bookstore. I'm hungry for some puzzles."

"Oh…"

The demon picked a bookstore with a restaurant right next to it, which succeeded beautifully in distracting Yako. He made her wait to eat though, until he'd picked out a few puzzle books (paid for by Yako, of course). Then they went next door, found a table, and sat down to eat their meals, Neuro absorbed in his books, Yako in her human food. On her third course, Yako looked up with a nervous smile on her face.

"I just realized, this is the first time we've actually eaten together," she laughed. "Weird, huh? It's almost like… like a… nevermind…"

Neuro glanced up from his book. He could tell she was testing him, waiting to see if he would react strangely like he had the night before. Perhaps she was hoping to figure out why he'd kissed her? "Spit it out louse," he ordered. "Like a what?"

Yako avoided his gaze, focusing out the window instead. "It's nothing… OW!"

Neuro had kicked her hard in the shin under the table. Yako glared at him, but he just blank-faced her.

"Fine," the human grumbled. "I was going to say that this seems kind of like a… um… a friendly outing kind of- OW!! A DATE!!!"

Several heads turned in their direction, and Yako blushed furiously. Neuro only returned his gaze to his book, smirking to himself.

"Do you like it?" he asked, seeming uninterested.

Yako started at the question, the blush in her cheeks deepening. "I… well it's… it's different, I guess…" Neuro glanced up, gauging her reaction. Her expression was frustratingly unreadable.

"So… Neuro…" She looked uncomfortable again, fidgeting with her sleeves and still blushing. For Heaven's sake, _now_ what was wrong?? "Why did you… k-kiss me last night?"

"Simple," Neuro replied too quickly. In his mind, he was searching for a real answer. What would she believe? Yako knew him too well, anything too nice or romantic would be suspicious. He had to word it just the right way so as not to make her uncomfortable or wary. But what _should_ he say?!

"I was curious," he finally said confidently.

Yako raised an eyebrow. "Curious?"

"Yes. Curious. I told you that both humans and demons are curious about new things. And so I investigated."

"That's all?"

"That's… all, yes." He'd added the "thoughtful" pause on purpose. He couldn't crush the louse's dreams completely just yet, now could he?

"Oh…" Whoops, she looked a little disappointed. Was she hoping he had kissed her because he felt something for her?? But how could that be, she had a boyfriend, and Neuro had seen firsthand many times how loyal his slave was. It didn't make sense for her to allow herself to have feelings for one man while she was in a relationship with another. So where did this Shuroshi come in anyway?

"Come louse, we're done here," he said suddenly. Snatching the girl by the head with much less force than normal – it pained him to go so easy on her – he threw his finished books into the trash and dragged his slave out the door before she could even take her fork out of her mouth.

"Where are we going?!" Yako choked.

"Were do you want to go?"

"What?!"

This time Yako really did choke. Neuro was forced to stop and pull her fork out of mouth to keep her from turning any more blue.

"What kind of reaction is that, louse?" he demanded, feigning hurt as Yako doubled over, coughing uncontrollably. "I offer you a choice of destination and you laugh in my face?"

"I'm not–_COUGHCOUGHCOUGH_–laughing, I just–_COUGHCOUGHCOUGHCOUGH_-!!" Yako struggled, wheezing in between racking coughs. Neuro clapped her firmly on the back, almost knocking her on her face.

"Well if that's how you wish to be, then I will pick our destination," the demon replied, keeping the wicked amusement out of his voice with some difficulty. "Follow me, Yako, we're going to the park!"

"The _PAR-_!!" Before Yako could finally get a clear word out, Neuro had snatched her by the arm and marched off towards the park.  


* * *

Neuro had never cared much for nature or anything of that sort, but he'd seen many a couple taking a romantic stroll through a park, and, glancing up at the sky, he realized it was the perfect weather for it – to a human, anyway. This was a nice park too, clean, few people around, plenty of flowers. Humans liked them, didn't they? Surely a leisurely walk together would make Yako relax a little, right?

Glancing back at the young woman he was still dragging by the hand, Neuro was surprised to find her staring hard at the ground, deep in thought.

"Careful, slave, or you'll overload that single-cell brain of yours," he warned dryly.

"Why are you doing this, Neuro?" Yako asked suddenly, ignoring his rude statement. Her eyes met his for the first time today. She seemed determined to get answers.

_As if I'll give her any…_

"What are you talking about, louse?" he sighed instead, still walking at a pace that kept Yako jogging just to keep up.

"This!!" Yako repeated almost angrily. She tried to stop and force him to do the same, but Neuro just kept on walking, almost knocking her off her feet. "Kissing me, eating meals with me, taking walks in _parks_ with me, not allowing me to talk to or even see my _boyfriend_: what is it you want, Neuro?! Why can't you give me a straight answer, _for once_?!"

Neuro stopped abruptly, and Yako almost ran into him. Looking her straight in the eye, he said very seriously, "What if I told you that the mystery Hitokiri was talking about can only be solved by you?"

He enjoyed the confusion that flashed through Yako's eyes, but just as quickly it was replaced by determination.

"What do I have to do?" she demanded, equally serious.

_That's right, dangle the bait right in front of her nose, and then…_

"Can't tell," Neuro replied with a blank smile, and continued to march.

"Neuro!!!" came the enraged slave's cry from behind as she was almost dragged off her feet again.

_So entertaining…_

"Neuro, I want to help you!" Yako went on. She was pleading now, but it wouldn't work, not on him. "Don't you understand, that's all I want! I want to help you get the office back and hunt for mysteries again! Why can't you help me do that?!"

"Because if I told you what you had to do, you wouldn't do it."

That silenced her. It annoyed Neuro that he had to give up so much juicy information just to shut his slave up for a minute. What a demanding, obnoxious human. Still, it was fun to play with her like this.

"So then… you're just going to give up the office and your… feeding grounds, I guess?" Yako spoke up again.

"Of course not. I have a plan."

"And that's why you're doing these things? Because of your plan?"

"Maybe."

"So I should just let you do them, because of your plan?"

"Precisely."

He heard the human sigh, and smiled to himself. _Entertaining indeed…_ A walk in the park didn't seem too bad now, if he could mess with the human a little. Her reactions to his torture had always been a source of sadistic joy for him – even though he would never admit even that.

Spotting a bench, Neuro stopped in front of it and dropped Yako onto it. "Rest," he ordered, "you've talked too much for one day."

"Neuro…" Yako grimaced, but relaxed into the bench anyway, breathing hard. He really had been walking too fast for her.

Of course the demon wasn't tired, but he sat next to Yako on the bench anyway. The human glanced up at him suspiciously as Neuro rested his arm casually behind her shoulders.

"Don't expect me to just let you do whatever you want for the sake of this 'plan,' Neuro," Yako warned. "You don't own me, remember?"

"Bold talk from a slave," Neuro replied, a dangerous smile spreading over his face. "Besides, would I be wrong in saying that you enjoyed me kissing you?"

Yako went completely red at that. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened, but all that came out was a pathetic choking sound in the back of her throat.

"You little whore…" Neuro teased, smirking.

"Shut up!!" Yako managed. "It wasn't my idea to go kissing my demon boss!! And I still don't know why you did it in the first place!"

"I already explained it to you, louse-"

"Like I'm going to believe that bullcrap about curiosity…" Yako grumbled, crossing her arms stubbornly. "I'm not stupid, you know…"

"Fooled me," Neuro replied with a blank grin.

Yako just sighed. Would she ever get a straight answer out of him? It seemed like a lost cause, but she had to know, especially considering this new plan of his. What could she possibly do to stop a rampaging demon who could beat even Neuro? Or maybe she should be asking herself what she – supposedly – "wouldn't" do to stop him?

Staring intently at the ground in thought, Yako was startled when she realized how dark it had become.

_When did…?_

"Let's go Yako," Neuro said suddenly, looking up at the sky. "The day has grown sour."

Confused, Yako glanced skyward. Clouds had come over the sun, thin and whispy at first, but they were thickening. At this rate, it would probably be raining before they made it back to her apartment.

Before she could speak her thoughts, Neuro had taken hold of the back of her shirt and yanked her up from the bench.

"Didn't you hear me, louse?" he asked. "Let's go."

"Okay…" Yako agreed, still caught off guard by how quickly the weather had changed. Or had they been sitting on that bench longer than she thought? Yako couldn't be sure, time always seemed irrelevant around Neuro. He was immortal after all.

Sure enough, they were half way back to the apartment when it began to pour. Shivering bitterly, Yako hugged herself as she became hopelessly soaked. She'd have a cold tomorrow for certain…

A shadow fell over the girl, and before she realized what was happening, she was wrapped up all in blue, shielded from the rain by Neuro's suit shirt. It was much too large for her, but it was incredibly warm. Looking up, Yako saw the demon walking beside her in nothing but his bright blue pants and white vest, already soaked to the bone. He didn't even glance at her, but she smiled anyway.

"T-thank you."

No reply.

* * *

If she gets a cold, it will only be trouble for me.

Humans usually share jackets when cold or wet as a sign of affection anyway.

Her stupid mate has probably already done this. I'll have to do better than this in order to beat him…

Neuro glanced quickly down at the human beside him, protected from the rain by his suit. She'd thanked him, but he couldn't reply. He was too busy thinking.

It was encouraging to know (though annoying at the same time) that Yako harbored secret feelings for him. It had become more and more obvious as the day went on, ever since the events of the night before. Still, she was holding back. If only he could make her willing to accept those feelings, his job would be so much easier.

One thing was certain to Neuro. He needed more time. More time away from Shuroshi, from Hitokiri, time alone with Yako. Maybe distance would make her forget.

Then it hit him.  


* * *

They made it back to the apartment just as the lightning and thunder were beginning to get bad. It would be a crazy night.

Neuro disappeared as soon as the door shut, probably to dry himself off. Still wearing Neuro's coat, which had remained perfectly dry the whole way, Yako made some tea for herself. The warm mug between her hands made her feel better. All that was left now was to plop down on the couch and relax.

Neuro wasn't going to grant her that luxury, however.

As soon as Yako had gotten comfy, the demon appeared, as dry as if he'd never been wet. Sitting down beside Yako as she sipped her tea, he put his arms around her and started rubbing his gloved hands against her forearms, warming them quickly. Yako felt her cheeks grow equally warm, but she said nothing. They were silent for a while, until Neuro pulled away.

"Better?"

Yako eyed him warily. It wasn't like him to make her feel comfortable in any way. What was he getting at?

"Y-Yeah, better…"

"Tired?"

Before Yako could answer, Neuro took the mug out of her hands and set it on the coffee table. Then he swept Yako up into his arms and carried her into her bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. Yako shuddered involuntarily as the demon ran a hand through her hair. She pushed his hand away, and he pulled abruptly away.

"Good night Yako," he said quietly, his green eyes glittering, hypnotizing.

"G-Good night," Yako whispered back. But Neuro was already gone.


	8. Remember and Forget

**Author's Notes: WOOHOOOOOOOOO. AN UPDATE. I think I speak for everyone reading this when I say I thought this day would never come. =_= This chapter explores a bit more Yako's feelings, and introduces two interesting predicaments. I'm curious to see what you all make of them, mwahahahahaaaaaa... D PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW. **

* * *

Yako woke up the next morning feeling absolutely awful, not physically, but emotionally. She lay in bed for a long time, face buried in her pillow, not ready to face the demon wandering around her apartment. Not after he'd kissed her, shared his coat with her, carried her bridal style in her room, and run his long, warm, spidery fingers through her hair. She turned cherry red just thinking about it, and her stomach did a flip.

"What are you doing, Yako.." she sighed as tears started leaking from her eyes. She took her other pillow and pressed it over her head, as if to muffle the confusing and strangely wonderful memories running through her head. She couldn't admit the truth to herself, that she wanted Neuro to stroke her hair again, to be close to her again… to kiss her again. And she most definitely would never admit to _him_ the truth from five years ago: that she'd missed him so terribly because she'd loved him, but could never tell, and that she'd left the Detective agency and her life as a teenage detective behind because she couldn't stand the memories, good and bad, that came with the job. Memories of him.

And so she hid, like she'd done for the past five years. She hid in her room until well after noon, when she heard a muffled voice coming from the kitchen. Neuro. Who was he talking to?

Dragging herself out of bed and wiping her moist cheeks, Yako shuffled to the door and pressed her ear against it. She could hear Neuro speaking, but couldn't make out his words, and couldn't hear anyone replying. Was he talking to himself? Or perhaps on a phone…

Suddenly, the realization that he could be talking to Shuroshi on the phone and telling him all manner of terrible things hit her. She rushed through the door and into the kitchen as Neuro hung up the phone.

"Ah, good morning, Yako," he said cheerily.

"What did you…" She was shaking with anger, but Neuro didn't let her finish.

"All right, you've slept in long enough. It's time to pack your things now!"

"Pack my- What on earth for?"

"We're going on a trip," Neuro said simply.

"Yes, I got that part, Neuro. _Where_?" Yako demanded, losing her patience very quickly.

"To visit your mother in Hawaii. She's writing for a story there currently, and would be very pleased if we would drop in for a visit."

"My mother- Is that who you were talking to on the phone? What did you say?" Yako felt her cheeks go red for some reason.

"I told her that after a very long vacation, I had returned and we were ready to reopen the detective agency. To celebrate my homecoming you were taking me to Hawaii," Neuro grinned.

Yako stared at him in shock. She hadn't seen her mother in well over a year, only exchanged brief emails with her when her mother had a spare moment. And now Neuro had arranged a meet-up with her in Hawaii so Yako couldn't refuse to go.

"You. Are. The. Devil," she growled at Neuro, a very convincing growl, considering how furious she was.

"Even I, the great devourer of puzzles, cannot presume to fill those shoes, but I am flattered," Neuro smirked. "Come now, our plane leaves at six. Pack all your clothes, who knows how long we'll be gone, a week, a month…"

"I hate you," Yako spat as she stalked back to her room to pack. "I hate you so so so so so…"

* * *

Yako's mother was there to greet them when their plane landed. Yako felt real joy flood her heart for the first time since she and Neuro left Japan as the two women embraced. During the drive to their hotel, they talked a hundred miles a minute about all of her mother's adventures since they'd parted. Finally, her mother turned to her and smiled.

"Okay, now that I've talked your ear off, what's been up with you, Yako?" she asked tenderly.

Yako's smile faltered. "Oh, you know, the usual," she managed.

"You know full well I have no idea what 'the usual' is," her mother pressed with a confused grin. "It's been 'the usual' for four years, Yako. Won't you tell me what you've been doing, I worry about my baby girl, living all alone…"

"Mom!" Yako's eyes flashed to Neuro, who was cramped in the back seat. He was suppressing a smirk with some difficulty. Yako's mother caught her look.

"Aaah, I gotcha. Okay, we'll talk later then," she grinned knowingly.

"Yes. Later."

* * *

Yako adjusted her sunglasses on her nose, getting comfortable in her beach chair. They'd been in Hawaii for three days, and no overly suspicious activity from Neuro yet. Now that she was here, with her mother, and with all this time to just relax, Yako realized this trip wasn't too bad after all.

"Louse, I require your assistance."

Pushing her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose, Yako looked up in surprise at her boss standing over her. He was wearing his white vest and blue shorts that came down to his knees, his equivalent of beachwear. Yako had to stifle the thought that she would like it better if he didn't wear a shirt at all.

"Assistance?" she repeated. "With what?" What could he possibly want now? She had a feeling he was up to more funny business…

"I want you to come swim with me."

It sounded so like a little child asking his mother to come with him for a short swim in the shallows that Yako almost busted up laughing. Almost. Instead, she turned red.

"No."

"Please?"

Yako's eyes bulged. Had Neuro just said please?

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"Because."

Neuro smirked and snatched her hand. "Come, Yako. At least once when going to the beach, you have to at least _swim_. It's cheating just sitting on the beach baking."

Yako tried to struggle, but Neuro just dragged her through the sand until they reached the breaking waves. Neuro paused, just staring at the water, still holding Yako's hand, and for a brief second Yako wondered if he even knew how to swim. Did they have oceans in the demon world? She imagined that if they did, they would be filled with lava instead of water. She glanced sideways at the tall demon, at his sharp profile and bright green eyes, glowing eerily in the light of the setting sun, and her throat suddenly felt dry. Her heart started pound. She became very aware of Neuro's large gloved hand holding her pale, tiny one.

The cool water suddenly rushing in between her toes brought her back to reality. She pulled her hand away, and to her surprise, Neuro let her go.

"Please stop messing with me, Neuro," Yako said. She'd tried to talk with some power, but her voice was weak and shaky, filled with an emotion she couldn't quite pinpoint. Pain? No. Disappointment?

"And what makes you think I'm messing with you?"

Yako looked up, startled. Neuro was staring right at her, his eyes boring into hers. She forced herself to look away.

"Because you're you," she answered tiredly. "You're a demon. You can't feel love, you don't even know what it is. So stop trying to fool me, for whatever reason you are, because I'm not falling for it."

"Why don't you stop fooling yourself?" Neuro challenged. Yako whipped around to face him, expecting some sadistic smirk on his face, but he looked deadly serious. "We both know that you love me. Don't insult my intelligence by trying to deny it. You've been bottling it up for five years. You even got yourself a boyfriend to try and cover up the fact that you are so pathetic you weren't over me after half a decade. But you can't hide it, and it is foolish as well as pointless to try any longer."

Yako glared. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. "I have a boyfriend? Are you crazy, Neuro?"

Neuro's eyes widened in actual shock. Then he did the last thing Yako expected he would do: he snatched her up and kissed her.

At first, Yako was tempted to struggle. She didn't like how he'd bared her own soul to her so frankly, and she didn't like the fact that she was almost certain he was just playing with her for whatever sick reason. But all that faded as his arms tightened around her, his mouth moving against hers, hungry and passionate. She actually _felt_ that he wanted this, wanted her. It made her heart ache so badly with longing that she relaxed into him, allowing him to pull her closer and kiss her more deeply. She would give in and let him kiss her. She would let herself kiss him back like she'd wanted to for five years. But just this once.

As Yako wrapped her arms around Neuro's neck, she realized she didn't want this one time to stop. So it was with great reluctance that she allowed Neuro to pull away several minutes later. Neuro rested his forehead against hers, his green eyes piercing.

"Do you still think I'm messing with you, Yako?"

"Yes."

* * *

Now Neuro was more confused than ever. Yako loved him, but after their kiss on the beach, she'd left in a hurry and hadn't emerged from her hotel room for the rest of the day. Why was she still holding back? It was no longer about her boyfriend.

That confused Neuro even more. In Japan Yako had been almost obsessive over Shuroshi, wanting to go out with him or talk to him all the time. And now, it almost seemed like… she'd forgotten about him? After four days of being away from him? That wasn't right at all…

And finally, the thing that most confused and frustrated Nougami Neuro was this strange dull aching he felt in the pit of his stomach. It had gotten worse when he was kissing Yako, and when she said she still believed he was messing with her, it got even worse. Now he felt really ill.

It couldn't be… no. No way he felt this because of Yako.


End file.
